Zangezur Corridor

News: The Zangezur Corridor is in focus after Armenia’s Security Council Secretary visited New Delhi and held talks with India’s National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval. Zangezur Corridor

About Zangezur Corridor

• The Zangezur Corridor is a planned transport route that connects Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan region by passing through the southern part of Armenia.
• It will link Azerbaijan’s capital Baku to Kars in Türkiye, going through Armenia near the Iranian border.
• The corridor includes railways and highways that were originally built during the Soviet Union period but were later destroyed due to war.
• This corridor will help Azerbaijan reach its Nakhchivan region without needing to go through Iran or checkpoints controlled by Armenia.
• It will allow smooth movement of goods, people, and vehicles between Azerbaijan, Nakhchivan, and Türkiye.
• It is also part of a larger project that connects Europe to Central Asia and China through road and railway networks.

India’s Strategic Concerns:

• India has invested heavily in the Chabahar Port in Iran and in Armenia. This gives India a multimodal route (sea + land) to reach the Black Sea and Europe, bypassing Pakistan and the Suez Canal.
  
• If the Zangezur Corridor opens without Armenian control, it may cut off Iran’s access to Armenia, and in turn, India’s land route to Europe through Armenia and Georgia.