(MENAFN- AzerNews)
Abbas Ganbay Read more
The Zengazur corridor may soon pass through another land, into
another gateway. Armenia's ongoing double game risks leaving it
with nothing at the end. All in glory and in deed gives convincing
hints to the neighbors to choose alternative ways of solution. The
Zangazur corridor is not considered in the North-South project
because of Armenia's unclear position, Russian Deputy Prime
Minister Alexei Overchuk said.
According to the official, the option of building a railway
bypassing Armenia through Iran to Nakhichevan with access to the
border with Turkiye is not much different from the road through
Zangazur. According to the Deputy Prime Minister's calculations,
while the railway through the territory of Armenia is just 42 km,
it is going to be 50 km via Iran - it is just about a difference of
8 km.
"That's the whole difference: two bridges and 8 km. And the
track gauge established on the territory of CIS both there and here
is 1520," Overchuk said.
A few days ago, a 3+3 meeting was held in Tehran, and Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed satisfaction on a similar
issue. The opening of the Zangazur corridor is also of great
importance for Russia."
However, the Russian deputy minister's attitude towards the
issue and his departure from optimism about the Zangazur corridor
are of interest.
According to Russian political scientist and author of a number
of scientific studies Darya Grevtsova, who commented on the issue
for AZERNEWS , Russia is very interested in
unblocking transport communications, and opening new corridors and
roads. But as we see Armenia, unfortunately, says one thing in a
word, but does something different in practice.
"When Pashinyan says that we will unblock communications, his
words do not go further than words, and this is seen in Russia and
Azerbaijan. And that is why Azerbaijan's proposal so supported by
Russia among others (of an alternative route of the Zangazur
corridor through Iran) is more realistic and possible now in the
current conditions than agreeing with Armenia on unblocking this
Zangazur corridor.
According to the expert, Deputy Prime Minister Overchuk speaks
about the small difference in expenses for laying this route, where
all countries are interested in it, including Iran.
"Therefore, now it seems more promising that an alternative
Zangazur corridor will be laid through Iran. Armenia will be left
with nothing because it is necessary to do things, not only to
speak words. As the saying goes, time is precious, and the sooner
this corridor is made, the better it will be for all countries."
Grevtsova said.
Playing with fire, after accusing Russia, Armenia decided to
stay in the CSTO for the time being, and on the other hand to sit
down at the table of the European Union looking for ways to
establish bases and missions on the territory of Armenia. Yerevan
in its turn reaps what it has sown and will not be able to
unilaterally abandon the 102nd Russian military base located in
Gyumri until 2044 on the basis of the 1995 agreement between the
Russian Federation and the Republic of Armenia on the Russian
military base on the territory of the Republic of Armenia.
The Armenian Prime Minister in Tbilisi agreed to the laying of
international lines of communication, he also presented a map on
which the possibility of restoring railway and road links with
Azerbaijan through the Zangazur corridor was noted, which would
further reduce transport links between the Caspian and
Mediterranean seas.
According to Daria Grevtsova, Russia is not satisfied with
Pashinyan's "such beautiful words" in Georgia about unblocking
communications and opening new roads, where Pashinyan wants all
these roads to be controlled by Western European countries, namely
France.
"Naturally, neither Moscow nor Azerbaijan want to depend on the
influence of the West. Because the West can block this corridor at
any moment at any whim, and it turns out that it controls this
corridor if it has such power over it. The Sochi Agreements also
stipulated that there will be Russian border guards along this
territory, and Russian Railways will build this road and control it
accordingly.
Pashinyan wants something completely different, that it should
be done by Western companies.
So this contradiction shows us now that it is better to create
an alternative Zangazur corridor, where all the countries through
which it passes are independent, Turkiye also supports this route.
Therefore, the most probable situation now is when they will start
building a road through Iran," the pundit added.
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