BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 30. Azerbaijan's role in the Eurasian space is strengthening, and its transit opportunities are increasing every day, transport expert Rauf Aghamirzayev told Trend.
According to him, the North-South Corridor, new roads in the direction of Baku-Gusar, the Kalaleh-Aghband project, and the formation of the Kalaleh-Aghband-Jabrayil-Fuzuli-Aghdam-Yevlakh-Ganja-Tbilisi-Batumi route will bring many benefits to the country.
Speaking about transport corridors and roads between Azerbaijan and Iran, he noted that the road along the Caspian Sea in the North-South corridor has already been built.
"The section of road R8 near the Taghiyev settlement is the remaining part, which is also planned to be improved. However, the road, with a total length of 500 km, has already been put into operation. Border checkpoints have also been improved, and roads have been constructed in this direction," said Aghamirzayev.
The expert mentioned that the Araz Corridor project includes a bridge built in the Aghband settlement of Azerbaijan's Zangilan district.
"Moreover, the roads that will function in this direction are part of the Southwest, North-South, and East-West corridors. The roads constructed through Aghband form two new routes in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur. Thus, one direction is the route Kalaleh-Aghband-Jabrayil-Fuzuli-Aghdam-Yevlakh-Ganja-Tbilisi-Batumi, and the other is the route from Aghband through Khudafarin-Lachin-Kalbajar-Murovdagh Tunnel and through Ganja towards Georgia. Moreover, we also have traditional roads through Astara and Bilasuvar. In this way, Azerbaijan, offering different options, has provided shorter paths," he also said.
Aghamirzayev emphasized that, along with these roads, rail transportation is also possible.
"Currently, active work is underway for the transportation of five million tons of cargo via the North-South corridor by 2028, including the modernization of the Alat-Osmanli-Astara railway. Additionally, the roadbed is being completed on the Sumgayit-Yalama railway. Work on the Goradiz-Aghband railway is also nearing completion. It is expected that railway repairs in Nakhchivan will begin this year. Construction work is planned for the section of the railway from Iran to the Araz Corridor. New opportunities will also arise with the construction and commissioning of the Rasht-Astara railway," he added.
Commenting on the issue, political analyst Rufat Huseynli said that the visit of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Azerbaijan can mark a new milestone in relations between the two countries.
"Cooperation can be expanded between the two countries in the fields of trade and transportation. An example of such cooperation is the North-South transport corridor. Issues such as expanding trade relations between the two countries, expanding energy cooperation, and developing transport infrastructure can be discussed. Cooperation in these areas may have a positive impact on the economies of both countries. Pezeshkian's visit is also important from the perspective of discussing regional security issues. Azerbaijan and Iran are interested in joint activities to ensure regional stability. This visit can become an important step in terms of developing cooperation between the two countries in the field of security and coordinating approaches to regional issues," he concluded.
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