VIDEO: Russia’s Ukraine focus opens space for US in South Caucasus, expert says
In a video interview with News.Az, Selçuk Çolakoğlu, founding director of the Turkish Center for Asia Pacific Studies (ANKASAM), discussed the recent visit of U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance to Azerbaijan and Armenia. He described the trip as a significant follow-up to the peace agreement signed in Washington last August by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and U.S. President Donald Trump.
According to Çolakoğlu, the visit should not be viewed as a symbolic diplomatic gesture, but rather as part of a broader strategic framework aimed at institutionalizing U.S. political and economic involvement in the South Caucasus.
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“At the Washington meeting, the three leaders not only signed a peace treaty, but also agreed on a regional cooperation framework,” he noted. “Vice President Vance’s visit was designed to operationalize that framework and translate it into concrete agreements in defense, trade, and energy sectors.”
The Turkish expert emphasized that a central component of this emerging regional architecture is the development of the Zangezur Corridor, which would connect mainland Azerbaijan with its exclave of Nakhchivan via Armenian territory. The corridor, he explained, could include railways, highways, and potentially energy infrastructure, forming a strategic transit route linking the Caspian region to Türkiye and onward to European markets.
Çolakoğlu argued that Washington appears interested not only in supporting the construction of the corridor but also in participating in its broader operational and strategic framework. In the long term, the route could facilitate the transportation of Azerbaijani energy resources and potentially Turkmen gas and Kazakh oil toward Europe.
He also noted that the current geopolitical environment creates favorable conditions for greater U.S. engagement in the South Caucasus.
“Iran is unlikely to welcome expanded American involvement in the region,” Çolakoğlu said. “However, given the international pressure it faces over its nuclear and missile programs, Tehran may not be in a position to directly obstruct these initiatives.”
As for Russia, the expert stressed that Russia remains heavily focused on the ongoing war in Ukraine, limiting its strategic maneuverability in the South Caucasus.
“In this context, the United States has a relatively advantageous position to expand its influence and deepen institutional ties with both Baku and Yerevan,” he added.
Çolakoğlu also highlighted Türkiye’s supportive role in regional connectivity projects, underlining Ankara’s interest in strengthening transport and energy links between the South Caucasus and Europe.
“If Azerbaijan and Armenia consolidate their peace process and implement infrastructure-based cooperation, it could generate a genuine win-win dynamic for the entire region,” he concluded.
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