The Zangezur Corridor: Regional peace and global connectivity

The Zangezur Corridor extends beyond a mere land connection between mainland Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan, embodying its potential to reshape economic ties across the South Caucasus. A 2020 Trilateral Statement outlined plans to restore regional economic and transport links, emphasizing how restored connections could provide an economic foundation for peace.

Azerbaijan has since argued that these connections could bolster peace through economic incentives. Tangible preparations, such as the Horadiz-Aghband railway and road projects, demonstrate Baku's commitment to connectivity as a strategic priority rather than a mere diplomatic statement. The Washington understandings of 8 August 2025, reached with President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, added momentum, supporting regional connectivity and the TRIPP initiative.

Azerbaijan stands to gain immediate benefits from direct links with Nakhchivan and broader markets via Türkiye, while the corridor could enhance its role as a Caspian hub through alternative freight routes, flexible logistics, and new service hubs. The corridor complements existing assets like the Baku International Sea Trade Port, Baku–Tbilisi-Kars railway, and domestic trunk routes.

Strategically, the Zangezur Corridor could reinforce the Middle Corridor connecting China, Central Asia, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Europe, potentially tripling freight volumes and halving transit times by 2030. Europe's interest in resilient supply chains and stronger links with Central Asia aligns with this vision, with commitments to mobilize €10 billion for Trans-Caspian connectivity.

The project's wider geoeconomic promise extends to Armenia, Türkiye, Central Asian exporters, and China, fostering more viable connections to European markets. Politically, reopening links between Azerbaijan and Armenia can incentivize stability through trade, transit, and services, contributing to a peaceful and durable relationship.

Successful implementation would require cooperation on customs, transit rules, technical standards, and infrastructure management, potentially transforming the South Caucasus from a geopolitical rivalry into a region where neighbors benefit from open connections. Ultimately, the Zangezur Corridor tests whether the region can convert its post-war connectivity agenda into lasting mutual benefit, potentially becoming a transregional geoeconomic opportunity.