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Abbas Ganbay

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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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Abbas Ganbay is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @Noend33

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