AZE.US
The planned Zangezur transport route could give Armenia its first real opportunity to participate in the formation of a major Eurasian logistics hub, Azerbaijani political analyst Ilgar Velizade said.
Velizade, head of the South Caucasus Political Scientists Club, discussed the project during an interview with the Daily Europe Online YouTube channel.
He said the route should not be viewed only as a railway connection between mainland Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan exclave.
Instead, the project could develop into a broader transport and infrastructure network involving railways, highways, high-voltage electricity lines and potentially a gas pipeline.
“The advantage for Armenia is that it will, for the first time, have the opportunity to become a real participant in the formation of a transport and logistics hub,” Velizade said.
According to the analyst, the route could connect the Caspian region and Central Asia with the Middle East, Eastern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean.
It could also function as part of both the East-West and North-South transport systems, depending on how governments, logistics operators and commercial carriers use the infrastructure.
Velizade said the importance of overland routes has increased as wars, political crises and disruptions to maritime transportation push countries and businesses to search for more stable and predictable alternatives.
He rejected the idea that the Zangezur route would necessarily become a direct competitor to the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway.
The route through Georgia primarily provides access to Black Sea ports, Istanbul and European markets, while the Zangezur connection could open a southern route through Armenia and Turkey toward the eastern Mediterranean.
In the longer term, he said, it could connect with railway networks extending toward Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
That would give cargo operators two broad options in the South Caucasus: a northern route through Georgia and a southern route through Armenia.
“Carriers could choose the northern route through Georgia or the southern route through Armenia depending on commercial benefits, regulations and the political situation,” Velizade said. “Having an alternative is always an advantage.”
He emphasized that governments cannot force private companies to use a particular corridor.
Logistics operators will choose routes based on transportation costs, delivery times, tariffs, customs procedures and overall reliability.
Governments, he said, are responsible for creating competitive conditions by offering clear regulations, attractive tariffs and faster cargo processing.
Velizade also said that, according to information available to him, U.S. specialists were examining the proposed railway section in Armenia and conducting a preliminary technical assessment.
The specialists were reportedly reviewing the scope and potential cost of construction before the preparation of formal project and budget documents.
It remains unclear which companies could eventually be involved in building the railway and related infrastructure.
Still, Velizade described the reported preliminary work as an encouraging development after a prolonged period of limited practical progress.
AZE.US