After playing the role of a mediator in 2020 agreement inked between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Armenia, Russia has become the main regional actor in developments in the Caucasus region especially the Karabakh crisis. In the latest development in this regard, Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed the creation of Zangezur Corridor during his recent trip to the Republic of Azerbaijan. This issue is important for Russia in the present situation in order to increase its role in the regional arena.
The creation of the alleged Zangezur Corridor in the form, that is currently being discussed, is deep rooted in the ceasefire agreement after the 44-day Karabakh war in 2020, which was signed between the president of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Prime Minister of Armenia and Russia under the supervision of Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to the sixth clause of this agreement, Armenia agreed to define a plan for the construction of a new transportation route along the Lachin Corridor. This route enables the connection between Khankendi and Armenia. Baku also guaranteed the safety of the transit of citizens, vehicles and goods along this Lachin Corridor in both directions. In the ninth article, Armenia agreed to open all economic and transportation roads. To organize the unhindered transportation of citizens, cars and goods in both directions. Armenia also agreed to provide transportation connections between the western regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan.
In December 2020, Russia announced its willingness to connect Nakhichevan to the Republic of Azerbaijan via a railway from Armenia. The quality of the construction of this border crossing was unclear in the ceasefire agreement, and according to the Russian President Vladimir Putin, it was left to the next negotiations. The officials of the three countries, that are parties to the ceasefire agreement, met several times to discuss the quality of the construction of this border crossing, but no significant progress was made in this field. Over the last three years, Azerbaijan with the support of Turkey insisted on its plans to implement the Zangezur Corridor and threatened that if Armenia does not accept, Azerbaijan will forcefully decide on it. Armenia also announced that it is only willing to reopen the former rail transport lines and does not accept the discussion based on the logic of the corridor.
The course of Russia's foreign policy approach shows the country's priority for the construction of Zangezur Corridor, and Russia's agreement with this issue has been clear from the beginning. In fact, although Russia did not take a clear and transparent stance on the Zangezur Corridor at the time of signing the ceasefire agreement, it appeared that it [Russia] was not against the progress of this project because, firstly, Russia signed the ceasefire agreement inked between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and secondly, since this border crossing was supposed to be controlled and monitored by the Russian military, it also followed Russia’s interests.
Contrary to what many think in Iran, after playing a key role in the 2020 ceasefire agreement, Russia has repeatedly announced its agreement to create this corridor. In a tripartite meeting with the President of Azerbaijan and the Prime Minister of Armenia on November 26, 2021 in Sochi, Putin mentioned several issues, including the creation of mechanisms for demarking border, humanitarian issues, and opening of the transportation corridors including road and rail. From the perspective of many people, this issue was an implicit reference to the creation of the Zangezur Corridor.
From the beginning of the plan to create this alleged corridor, Iran announced its opposition for several reasons. First, Iran loses its role in the relationship between the territory of Azerbaijan and the Autonomous Republic of Nakhichevan. Second, if this corridor is created, Iran will no longer have its role between Turkey and Central Asia. Third, the border of Iran and Armenia, and in fact Armenia itself, is the point of integration of Iran with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), and if this corridor is created, Iran will lose this advantage. Finally, with the increase in the strategic value of the Middle Corridor, the Zangezur Corridor will further reduce Iran's pivotal role in transportation between East and West. Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei announced in several meetings with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that "if there is a policy to block the border between Iran and Armenia, the Islamic Republic will oppose it."
In the current situation and after Russian President Putin's visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan, although the Russian authorities have not used the term “corridor” for the transportation roads between Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, the fact that the Russian authorities, despite being aware of Iran's opposition, have raised this issue under the removal of the border blockages. Apart from the reality of relations between Iran and Russia at different levels, Russia's action to raise this issue again has several reasons.
According to 2020 ceasefire agreement, about 2,000 Russian peacekeepers were stationed in this area for at least five years. However, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan announced in a statement in June 2024 that the withdrawal process of the Russian peacekeeping forces, which were temporarily stationed in Azerbaijan after the war, has ended and they have left the country. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized in a press conference during Putin's recent visit to Baku that the peacekeeping and Russia’s border guard forces are ready to maintain security and complete protection of the two ends of the railway line passing through Zangezur region.
One of Russia's goals is to monopolize the control of transportation roads from Dagestan to Zangezur and then from the Nakhichevan border with Armenia to the Turkish border. In addition, the Zangezur Corridor guarantees Russia’s access to Middle Eastern markets.
Another point that has raised by Russian President Vladimir Putin to “Zangezur” Corridor is the extreme weaknesses shown by Armenia. In February 2024, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that the Collective Security Treaty has not been implemented and for this reason, Yerevan has suspended its membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization. But Pashinyan, in a clear change of position, has recently announced that Armenia has no intention of withdrawing from the treaty. The reason for this change of position is NATO's refusal of Armenia's potential membership in this organization. This issue may convince Yerevan to remain in the Collective Security Treaty.
Some experts, such as Shirin Hunter, a professor at Georgetown University, believe that Russia is not the most influential actor in the Caucasus region, and that the United States and Secretary of State Antony Blinken played a key role in establishing peace between Yerevan and Baku, and in other words, Moscow has no longer hegemony in the region. If we consider this issue, Putin wants the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which more than 80% of the agreement has been done according to Ilham Aliyev done, should be considered with the centrality of Russia. In fact, Russia’s Putin intends to make Russia appear as the main player in the region.
Conclusion
Russia is trying to regain its lost role in the Caucasus against Turkey by raising the creation of Zangezur Corridor. The above issues are important in Russia's foreign policy in the form of an interconnected network. In this way, Moscow is mostly looking to play a role in corridor routes such as the Middle Corridor centered on China and Russia and taking advantage of Zangezur Corridor as a part of this great corridor that is being created far away from this country.
By Sajjad Moradi Kalardeh
MA/6219642
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