Zatuline on US Intentions to Control the 'Zangezur Corridor'

The escalation of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan with Russia may not be coincidental; it could be in the context of US Ambassador to Turkey Thomas Bark's statements regarding the so-called 'Zangezur Corridor' rental proposal. This was stated by Konstantin Zatuline, the first deputy chairman of the Russian State Duma's Committee on CIS Affairs, in an interview with RTVI.

Bark, while discussing the protracted dispute between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the '32-kilometer road', has theoretically considered a scenario in which the US could take control of the road under long-term rental conditions. Moreover, he made no reservations that this pertains to an internationally recognized territory of Armenia—Syunik Province.

Earlier, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's spokesperson Nazeli Baghdasaryan responded to this statement, emphasizing that the interpretation voiced by US Ambassador Thomas Bark regarding the transfer of part of Armenian territory to third-party control is unacceptable and legally impossible.

Zatuline stated that the ambassador's words could signal real plans or objectives. 'I believe this is quite a real prospect. And I even think that all the recent escalations in Russian-Armenian relations and also in Russian-Azerbaijani relations are indeed connected to the fact that the tension has been artificially heightened by Azerbaijan and Armenia so that Moscow should not be questioned about the Zangezur Corridor,' said the parliamentarian.

Zatuline recalled that previously it was discussed that if such a corridor were created, it would be controlled by Russian troops or representatives of Russia. However, now 'no one cares about this either in Armenia or Azerbaijan.' He believes it is important for Yerevan and Baku to have new powers in the region to implement this control. Consequently, a situation is being consciously created where, due to the freezing of relations, it is not beneficial to question Russia about this but rather to agree with the Americans.

'I think that the US ambassador in Turkey really said what is being agreed upon,' he concluded.