VLADIVOSTOK, September 6, 2025
Russia continues to cast both Armenia and Azerbaijan as allies, even as tensions complicate the South Caucasus peace process, Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overtchuk said on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum.
“Unblocking transport links in the region benefits everyone — Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia,” Overtchuk told RIA Novosti. “With both countries we have normal economic relations. With Armenia, we are partners through the Eurasian Economic Union. Normal ties between them would create new opportunities and bring shared gains.”
Armenia, long constrained by closed borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan, relies heavily on Georgia for access to the outside world. Overtchuk said modern infrastructure was urgently needed to ease Yerevan’s reliance on a single, weather-dependent corridor.
For Azerbaijan, he noted, the priority is re-establishing land access to its Nakhchivan exclave and building on its role as a transit hub. Turkey’s new rail link from Kars to the Nakhchivan border is central to that strategy.
Reports that the US could gain a 99-year management concession over Armenia’s Meghri section highlight geopolitical sensitivities. Overtchuk acknowledged “concerns about extra-regional players” in what he called a “fragile” region, but added that competition among routes — including the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway and the Turkmenistan–Iran corridor — would ultimately serve shippers.
Turning to recent strains, Overtchuk described the downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane as “a shared grief” and confirmed that Moscow continues to press for the release of 13 Russian citizens detained in Azerbaijan. “Our embassy in Baku maintains contact with them, and we hope they can return home soon,” he said.
Despite mounting mistrust, Overtchuk insisted that Moscow aims to preserve economic cooperation. “Our trade ties are too important for people in both countries. Hundreds of thousands depend on these relationships,” he said.
