Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev says the project could significantly increase freight traffic, strengthen Nakhichevan’s transport role, and expand Azerbaijan’s access to European markets.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said implementation of the “Zangezur Corridor” project would significantly increase freight traffic and “turn Nakhichevan into a key transport hub in the region.” He made the remarks in an interview with Azerbaijani Television in Nakhichevan. According to him, “about 15 million tons of cargo could be transported annually through the corridor,” with that figure potentially increasing in the future, Minval.az reported.
Aliyev announced the start of implementation of the TRIPP transport project, which envisages developing transport links between Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan through Armenian territory.
According to Aliyev, implementation of the project was discussed during an Aug. 8 telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump. The sides expressed confidence that this important transport project would be implemented in the near future.
The president said the railway line would reach the border with Armenia as early as next year.
He also said construction work on the Nakhichevan railway had already begun. According to Aliyev, missing sections of the railway, totaling approximately 3-7 kilometers, need to be restored. Two such sections are located near the border with Armenia, in the Ordubad and Sadarak districts. The president said the remainder of the railway line is generally operational and can already be used.
According to Aliyev, several countries and international organizations, including the European Union, have shown interest in this route, particularly the Nakhichevan section of the railway. EU representatives have already visited Nakhchivan, assessed the situation on the ground and expressed interest in participating in the project.
At the same time, the president said Azerbaijan Railways is independently completing the necessary work in Azerbaijan’s main territory, meaning there has been no need for external participation there.
Regarding restoration of the Nakhichevan railway, Aliyev did not rule out creating an international consortium of investors, provided the controlling stake remains in the hands of the Azerbaijani state. The president stressed that Baku is open to such a form of cooperation. At the same time, even in the absence of foreign investors, Azerbaijan intends to implement the project independently, as there are no financial constraints.
“More jobs will be created, economic activity will increase, and Nakhchivan, I can say, will become one of the indispensable transport hubs. That is entirely possible,” Aliyev said.
The Azerbaijani president also said the country intends to expand its export capacity and enter the European market not only with oil and gas but also with electricity.
“By expanding our export opportunities to neighboring countries, we will also enter the European market. Because we have now entered the European market with our oil and gas. But we also want to enter it with electricity,” Aliyev said.
