BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 17. Full utilization of the routes through Zangezur will greatly facilitate transEurasian transportation and the development of the Middle Corridor, former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Robert Cekuta told Trend.
“Doing so will have positive economic impacts for the whole of the region, from the Back Sea across the Caucasus and Central Asia to India, China, and others in eastern and southern Asia. Let me expand a bit. I know there is a great deal of focus within Azerbaijan on establishing secure transportation links with Nakhchivan. This is to be expected given the importance of linkages between these two parts of the country and the pain and disruptions of the years of conflict with Armenia. However, establishing new roads and other connections across Zangezur and the rest of the region will have much broader impacts and benefits. In addition to facilitating and expanding trade between say Germany and China, it will create opportunities for new jobs and businesses across the Caucasus. Zangezur’s opening will also help build connections between Armenians and Azerbaijanis and contribute to a lasting peace between the two countries and a more stable and secure Europe,” he explained.
Cekuta noted that such increased trade via Zangezur will boost prosperity in Azerbaijan and in the region as a whole.
“A more robust electrical gird among countries in the region will increase energy security as well and could have beneficial impacts when it comes to reducing greenhouse gases while providing for the region’s growing energy needs. And we should not forget about the possibility for increased fiberoptic and other IT connections across the region and the benefits they would bring. Studies we have been doing show that it is not just the physical infrastructure that is important in building transport routes and other connections, but also working to reduce administrative barriers, improving customs procedures. As Azerbaijan, Armenia, and others in the region work to expand connections across Zangazur and the whole of the Caucasus, it is important they look at and address the nonphysical barriers to trade as well,” added the former ambassador.
He pointed out that the disruptions of trade across Eurasia and world-wide, greatly boosted the importance of the Middle Corridor that connects east and south Asia with the European portion of the continent.
“Azerbaijan, as the only country that borders both Russia and Iran, is critical to the viability of that east-west Middle Corridor across Eurasia. Transportation systems, IT cables, pipelines, all need to cross through Azerbaijan if they are going to be insulated from the political risks,” Cekuta said.