Azerbaijan signals broader scope for Zangezur Corridor

BAKU

The scope of the strategically important Zangezur Corridor could be expanded to include electricity transmission lines as well as oil and natural gas pipelines, Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev has said.

“This project will not be limited to a railway and road connection. Fiber-optic cables and electricity lines could also pass through here, while oil and natural gas pipelines could be added in the future if the need arises,” Aliyev told Azerbaijan’s state broadcaster AZTV late on Aug. 11.

The Zangezur Corridor, which runs through Armenia and connects mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhichevan, on Türkiye’s border, was enshrined in an agreement reached at a trilateral summit hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Aug. 8, 2025.

Aliyev said Azerbaijan aims to transport at least 15 million tons of cargo annually through the corridor.

He said a project to establish an electricity transmission line from mainland Azerbaijan to Nakhichevan via Armenia is already prepared, adding that a major substation was built in Jabrayil to facilitate the transmission of large volumes of electricity.

Aliyev said Azerbaijani experts identified potential locations in Armenia where electricity pylons could be installed, and expressed hope that the Armenian government would also take steps in this regard.

Noting that Azerbaijan’s existing energy networks are connected to Russia, Iran and Georgia, and through Georgia to Türkiye, Aliyev said a new energy corridor running from Armenia to Nakhichevan and onward to Türkiye and Europe could contribute to regional energy security.