Under Whose Control Will Armenia Hand Over the Syunik Corridor to Azerbaijan?

The newspaper 'Haykakan Zhamanak' reports that the topic of opening a corridor in the Syunik region is far from being closed. The fact is that all geopolitical centers continue to express their views on this corridor, each with its own agenda. Turkey and Azerbaijan repeatedly state that this corridor must be opened. For instance, after a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in September, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced, 'The construction of a railway connecting Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan and Turkey is proceeding successfully. Works on Azerbaijani territory will likely be completed by the end of next year.'

So far, no other geopolitical center has declared that there will be no corridor or road. It creates the impression that there is a consensus in the world that Armenia must provide this corridor to Azerbaijan, but there is no agreement on what legal basis or status it should have.

Is the discussion referring to the trilateral agreement signed in 2020 by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, President Putin, and President Aliyev, which includes the phrasing: 'All economic and transport links in the region are being unblocked? The Republic of Armenia guarantees the safety of transport communications between the western regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, organizing the unhindered movement of citizens, vehicles, and cargo in both directions. The control over transport communications is exercised by the authorities of the Russian Federal Security Service.'

Should the Armenian side be responsible for the control of the road? Until now, Nikol Pashinyan has not denied that a road will be given, but he avoids the term 'corridor'. In this regard, the meeting in Brussels at the end of October is fateful, and it will be there that the conditions for granting the corridor/road will be decided. Moreover, it will be determined what new calamity awaits if the Armenian side refuses to make a decision.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has consistently highlighted that unblocking transport routes could have a positive impact on the region. The American side speaks about preserving Armenia's sovereignty. 'The U.S. supports Armenia's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity,' said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on September 21. Similar statements are frequently made by the European side as well. 'The EU unequivocally supports Armenia's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,' said European Parliament President Roberta Metsola yesterday.

Thus, the situation indicates that there is a geopolitical consensus that Armenia should provide this corridor to Azerbaijan, but the West does not want it to be under Russian control in any case. However, it must be so. At what cost and under whose control will become clearer at the end of this month in Brussels.

This means that even by handing over the Republic of Artsakh to Azerbaijan, Nikol Pashinyan is unable to resolve the issues of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia. To this day, Azerbaijan continues to occupy approximately 140 square kilometers of territory recognized as part of Armenia's borders since its invasion in 2021. This highlights the incapacity of Nikol Pashinyan's administration.

For more details, see today's newspaper.