Zangezur Corridor

Zangezur Corridor is a logistical route planned to pass through the Zangezur (Syunik) region in southern Armenia, aiming to directly connect Azerbaijan’s western regions with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

The implementation of the corridor was brought to the agenda within the framework of the Tripartite Declaration signed on 10 November 2020. This route holds strategic importance due to its potential to establish an uninterrupted land connection between Azerbaijan and Türkiye.

On 8 August 2025, the Azerbaijan–Armenia Peace Agreement signed in Washington designated the Zangezur Corridor as the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP), defining it as a multifaceted route encompassing road and rail infrastructure, energy lines, and communication networks.

Historical Background

The Zangezur region has historically been one of the most strategic areas in southern Transcaucasia. Following the Russian Empire’s takeover of the region in the early 19th century, Zangezur became a site of ethnic, political and military tensions between Azerbaijan and Armenia. During the border conflicts between the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic and the Republic of Armenia between 1918 and 1920, Zangezur emerged as one of the most contentious areas between the two sides.

When the Soviet Union gained control over southern Transcaucasia in the early 1920s, Moscow reorganized regional boundaries. During this process, the Zangezur region was assigned to the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, severing the direct land connection between western Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. This decision forced all transit between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan to pass exclusively through Armenian territory or Iran.

Although railway and road connections between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan via Zangezur existed throughout the Soviet period, these routes operated under central Soviet authority and were treated as internal boundaries between the two republics, thus avoiding political crises. However, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, diplomatic relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan were severed, and the conflicts in Karabakh and its surroundings led to the complete closure of the land connection through Zangezur.

This situation resulted in Nakhchivan being entirely cut off from the main territory of Azerbaijan, accessible only via Iran and Türkiye. Since the 1990s, Azerbaijan has consistently pursued the reestablishment of a connection through Zangezur as a strategic objective. From the late 2000s onward, growing political and economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and Türkiye strengthened the idea of reviving this route. However, Armenia opposed the proposal, viewing the granting of a special-status corridor through Zangezur to Azerbaijan as a violation of its sovereignty. This historical context laid the groundwork for the inclusion of the Zangezur Corridor in the 10 November 2020 Tripartite Declaration signed after the Second Karabakh War, once again making the region a focal point of international attention.

Developments After the 2020 Karabakh War

The Second Karabakh War, which took place between 27 September and 10 November 2020 and lasted 44 days, ended with a military advantage for Azerbaijan. At the conclusion of the war, Azerbaijan regained control over a large territory that had been under Armenian control since the 1990s. The Tripartite Declaration signed on 10 November 2020 between Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia fundamentally altered the regional balance of power.

Article 9 of the Declaration envisaged the reestablishment of transport links between Azerbaijan’s western regions and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. According to this article, the security of these transport connections was to be guaranteed by border units under the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). Azerbaijan interpreted this article as the legal basis for implementing the Zangezur Corridor.

After the war, Azerbaijan emphasized the need for rapid action to open road and rail routes. President Ilham Aliyev stated that the Zangezur Corridor would not only connect Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan but also establish a direct link between Türkiye and the Central Asian countries. In this context, the corridor was described as a “strategic route uniting the Turkic world.”

Armenia, however, argued that the term “corridor” did not appear in the Declaration and that it contained only a general provision regarding the opening of regional transport links. The Yerevan administration viewed the granting of a special-status transit right through Zangezur to Azerbaijan as a violation of its sovereignty. Consequently, Armenia insisted that customs and border controls in the region remain under its own authority.

Although progress was occasionally made during negotiations between the parties in 2021 and 2022, disagreements over the border demarcation, customs procedures, and security issues remained unresolved. Russia continued to act as an intermediary between the parties to facilitate the implementation of the transportation clause in the Trilateral Statement; however, Moscow’s influence in the region diminished somewhat after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.

Azerbaijan, meanwhile, accelerated infrastructure projects within its territory aimed at connecting the Zangezur Corridor. Railway and highway projects were launched, starting from Horadiz and extending along the Aras River to the Nakhchivan border. These projects demonstrated a clear political and logistical commitment to implementing the corridor.

In Armenia, a significant portion of public opinion expressed concerns that a special-status transit route through Zangezur could threaten the country’s territorial integrity in the future. Consequently, the Yerevan administration continued to approach the project solely within the framework of “opening regional transport routes.”

Attitudes of Regional and International Actors

Türkiye

Türkiye views the Zangezur Corridor as a strategic project essential for regional integration, economic cooperation, and establishing uninterrupted land connectivity with the Turkic world. Ankara argues that opening the corridor will not only shorten transit times between Azerbaijan and Türkiye but also enhance the security of trade and energy routes extending into Central Asia.

Russia

Russia, as a guarantor of the Trilateral Statement, assumes a central role in the Zangezur Corridor process. Moscow anticipates that Russian border guards will ensure the corridor’s security. However, shifting power dynamics in the region and increasing Western interest have compelled Russia to maintain a cautious and balanced position.

Iran

Iran fears that the implementation of the corridor could diminish the importance of its territory as a regional trade route. Tehran regards the preservation of its land border with Armenia—and by extension with Russia—as a strategic priority and therefore adopts a cautious stance toward the corridor plan.

United States of America (USA)

The USA evaluates the process based on its own interests and closely monitors the corridor’s impact on regional balances. Washington believes that diversifying transport and energy routes in the region could reduce the influence of Russia and Iran. According to some sources, the USA proposed a 100-year lease of the Zangezur region; this proposal received mixed reactions from Azerbaijan and Armenia.

European Union (EU)

The EU generally perceives transportation projects in the South Caucasus as opportunities to enhance economic integration but supports a solution in the Zangezur Corridor process that respects the sovereignty sensitivities of the parties involved.

Significance of the Corridor for the Turkic World

The Zangezur Corridor is a strategic initiative designed to link Azerbaijan with Türkiye and Central Asia via Nakhchivan, thereby strengthening economic, energy, cultural, and political integration within the Turkic world. As an alternative logistics route, it aims to accelerate trade and serve as a central pillar of regional cooperation and integration.

Geopolitical Dimension

The Zangezur Corridor has the potential to reshape Eurasian power balances by establishing uninterrupted land and rail connectivity among Turkic nations. The creation of a direct logistics network between Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan offers an alternative to traditional transit routes passing through Russia and Iran. This development expands the geopolitical maneuvering space of Turkic states and reinforces their regional autonomy.

Economic and Commercial Impacts

Upon implementation, the corridor is expected to reduce transportation costs, shorten logistics times, and increase trade volumes among Turkic countries. Trade between Türkiye and the Central Asian Turkic republics via this route is anticipated to be more advantageous than existing corridors, both in terms of cost and security. A wide range of goods—from agricultural products and industrial machinery to energy equipment and defense industry products—is projected to experience accelerated trade flows.

Energy and Infrastructure Connectivity

The corridor also serves as a strategic route for energy transmission lines. Experience gained through Türkiye–Azerbaijan energy cooperation projects such as TANAP and the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline could facilitate the construction of new energy corridors through Zangezur. This would enable Central Asian Turkic republics to deliver their energy resources to Europe via Türkiye more quickly, providing a regional advantage in terms of energy security.

Cultural and Political Integration

The Zangezur Corridor is not only a source of commercial and logistical benefits but also one of the most important projects strengthening physical integration among Turkic nations. This integration constitutes a concrete pillar of the multi-dimensional cooperation strategy pursued under the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). Once operational, the corridor will enable direct land and rail connections between the capitals of Turkic countries, accelerating not only economic relations but also human mobility.

Culturally, the corridor will make student and academic exchange programs among Turkic states more affordable and efficient, enabling the expansion of existing joint undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs currently coordinated by the OTS and its member institutions.

Moreover, the corridor will facilitate more regular and broadly participatory cultural and artistic events. Improved transportation infrastructure is expected to increase participation in activities such as music festivals, theater tours, exhibitions, and literary days. As a result, events such as Nowruz celebrations, Turkish poetry festivals, and traditional sports competitions held across different regions of the Turkic world will see enhanced both qualitative and quantitative engagement.

From a political integration perspective, the Zangezur Corridor provides an infrastructure that will ease diplomatic contacts and high-level visits among Turkic states, thereby deepening institutional cooperation.

In the Context of Azerbaijan–Türkiye Relations

The Zangezur Corridor transforms the “one nation, two states” concept, which has been part of official rhetoric between Azerbaijan and Türkiye since the 1990s, into a tangible and sustainable infrastructure project. Relations between the two countries rapidly developed in political, cultural, and economic spheres after Azerbaijan’s independence in 1991, and by the 2000s had evolved into a strategic partnership. The 2010 Strategic Partnership and Mutual Assistance Agreement formalized cooperation in security, defense, energy, and transportation; the Zangezur Corridor has emerged as the most concrete manifestation of these agreements on the ground.

The opening of the corridor will directly connect Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic to mainland Azerbaijan via land routes, granting Türkiye significant geostrategic advantages. Through this route, Türkiye will be able to reach Azerbaijan and, from there, the Central Asian Turkic republics without relying on transit through Armenia or Iran. This will establish a continuous and secure transportation link for both commercial and political relations.

During the presidency of Ilham Aliyev, Türkiye has been positioned as Azerbaijan’s primary geopolitical partner. This partnership has been reinforced not only through diplomatic declarations but also through infrastructure, energy, and defense projects. The Zangezur Corridor is regarded as the “infrastructure foundation” of this cooperation and is seen as a factor increasing mutual dependency between the two countries.

From an economic perspective, trade facilitated through the corridor will expand the existing volume of bilateral trade between the two countries and increase Türkiye’s share in the Central Asian market. The commissioning of this route is expected to reduce logistics costs, shorten transportation times, and decrease security risks. While Türkiye’s key export products include textiles, machinery, electronics and food, Azerbaijan’s exports of energy and petrochemical products to Türkiye will become faster and more efficient thanks to the corridor.

On the military and security dimension, the corridor will strengthen the logistical infrastructure of defense industry cooperation between the two countries. The Shusha Declaration, signed after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh War, deepened Türkiye–Azerbaijan military cooperation and elevated the security of the corridor to a shared strategic objective. This security cooperation is regarded as a mechanism contributing to overall stability in the South Caucasus.

In the energy sector, the Zangezur Corridor also plays a critical role. By integrating with existing energy projects such as TANAP and the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline, the Zangezur Corridor can enhance the energy transmission capacity between Türkiye and Azerbaijan. This will strengthen the energy security of both nations and facilitate access for the Turkic Republics of Central Asia to Western markets.

Current Status

The Zangezur Corridor remains one of the most critical issues under negotiation between the parties. While Azerbaijan and Türkiye advocate for the earliest possible implementation of the project, Armenia seeks to shape the project according to its own understanding of sovereignty. As of 2025, construction work is progressing rapidly on the Azerbaijani side, but no concrete agreement has been reached on the route and administrative status of the corridor within Armenian territory. Diplomatic contacts continue in various formats under the mediation of the European Union and the United States, yet trust deficits and geopolitical competition are complicating the process.

Azerbaijan–Armenia Peace Agreement (2025) and the Zangezur Corridor

On 8 August 2025, U.S. President Trump announced that he would host Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the White House and bring an end to the decades-long conflict between the two nations. On that date, a peace agreement was signed at the White House in Washington D.C. between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia. The signing ceremony was attended by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and U.S. President Donald Trump. The agreement aims to definitively resolve territorial and border disputes, reestablish diplomatic relations, and strengthen transportation and economic cooperation in the South Caucasus.

The Zangezur Corridor has acquired a new identity in both name and function through the Azerbaijan–Armenia Peace Agreement signed in Washington. Under the agreement, the corridor has been officially designated by the United States as the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity" (TRIPP) and redefined as a multifaceted transportation and energy corridor encompassing not only road and rail transit but also oil and natural gas pipelines and fiber-optic communication infrastructure. As part of this new arrangement, operational rights for the corridor have been granted to a U.S.-based company for a specified period, and the subleasing of operational privileges to third parties has been legally permitted. Thus, the Zangezur Corridor has transformed from a technically contested route into a politically and economically integrated project aimed at international investment, energy cooperation, and trade integration.