Civilnet
By Lia Avagyan
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Armenia is displaying a “more flexible” attitude toward joining economic integration plans built around the proposed “Zangezur corridor,” even as Yerevan stressed that any new transport link must remain under Armenian jurisdiction.
Speaking to reporters aboard his plane after a visit to Azerbaijan, Erdogan described the east-west route – which would connect mainland Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave across Armenia’s Syunik province – as part of a looming “geo-economic revolution.” “The corridor offers opportunities not only for Azerbaijan but for the entire region,” Erdogan said, according to the Turkish state-run Anadolu Agency. He added that Ankara sees Yerevan “showing more flexibility toward joining economic integration.” Erdogan also said the diplomatic framework for a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan was “concluded” at talks held in Brussels, Moscow, and Tbilisi in late 2024, and expressed hope that the agreement would open “new and historic windows of opportunity.”
Armenia’s Foreign Ministry responded by reaffirming that ongoing negotiations on reopening regional transport links are based on principles of sovereignty and national jurisdiction. “Armenia has been and remains interested in expanding regional connectivity and economic development,” ministry spokesperson Ani Badalyan told Armenpress. “Our approach is based on the understanding that all routes must function under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the respective countries. Armenia has proposed its ‘Crossroads of Peace’ vision and offered concrete, constructive ideas aligned with that framework. Our proposals can produce mutually beneficial results both for the region and for interested international partners.” She emphasized that Armenia’s vision does not entail any alternative arrangement outside this legal framework.
Erdogan’s comments follow a recent report by analyst Olesya Vartanyan of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace suggesting that the United States is circulating a proposal to break the deadlock over the Zangezur issue. According to Vardanyan, Washington is exploring a model in which a U.S.-based logistics firm would oversee and monitor transit along the route as a neutral guarantor, similar to international mechanisms used in other regional conflicts. The arrangement is intended to address Azerbaijan’s demand for long-term guarantees while preserving Armenia’s legal control over the corridor. The report noted that both Baku and Ankara remain wary of Armenia’s political commitments and are pushing for external enforcement mechanisms.
Stories
