A new era of regional integration in the South Caucasus

In a video interview with News.Az, Selcuk Colakoglu, the founding director of the Turkish Centre for Asia Pacific Studies, said that after the signing of a final peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia and the normalization of relations between the two countries, the Zangezur Corridor will be on the agenda for further regional connectivity.

The corridor will lead to greater diversification of logistics and investment in the South Caucasus, stimulating foreign investment in the region, he noted.

Because of the Karabakh issue, the relationship between Azerbaijan and Armenia has been frozen for decades. Turkey also closed its land border with Armenia to support Azerbaijan's position on the Karabakh issue.

After the Karabakh issue was settled on the ground and Azerbaijan took full control of the region, there is a possibility for normalization and integration projects between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as between Turkey and Armenia.

The Zangezur Corridor is one of the routes directly connecting mainland Azerbaijan to the Nakhchivan enclave and then to Turkey through Armenia.

This is one corridor, and other connectivity initiatives are also on the agenda between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and between Turkey and Azerbaijan.

The revitalization of the Zangezur Corridor would be a significant step.

This development would make the South Caucasus region more attractive for China's Belt and Road Initiative.

Currently, logistics are provided from east to west through Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey.

With the normalization of the Azerbaijani-Armenian relationship, Armenia will also become a center for China's Belt and Road Initiative connectivity projects.

This will lead to more diversification of logistics, more integration in the South Caucasus, and more economic investments, foreign direct investments, and infrastructure investments in the region.

Overall, this will boost regional centrality in the wider Black Sea region and increase connectivity from Central Asia to Europe.

News.Az