August 9, 2025 | Baku, Azerbaijan
A landmark meeting in Washington between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump, resulted in a Joint Declaration that could reshape the South Caucasus transport landscape. The agreement includes a pledge to jointly request the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group’s mandate and constitutional amendments in Armenia to renounce territorial claims against Azerbaijan.
In a surprise move, the Zangezur Corridor was given a new name — the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” — after Trump announced that Yerevan had signed an exclusive 99-year lease with Washington for the corridor’s administration.
Speaking to Vesti.Az, Professor Chingiz Ismayilov, Head of the Department of Economic and Social Geography at Baku State University, stressed that Azerbaijan’s priority remains securing uninterrupted land and rail connections between its mainland and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
“Historically, the corridor is a strategic necessity. Even during Soviet times, when there was no open conflict, trains between Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan were attacked and pelted with stones. Decades of hostility in Armenian society mean there is no guarantee of openness or reliability now. Without genuine security guarantees, the corridor’s operation is impossible,” he said.
Ismayilov cited recent incidents — including the mine blast in Kalbajar injuring Azerbaijani servicemen — as evidence of ongoing risks, noting that mines planted after the 2020 war undermine trust. He argued for international oversight, possibly through a UN mission with enforcement powers, warning that without such mechanisms the project could become a new flashpoint.
On the legal front, Ismayilov acknowledged that the corridor lies within Armenia’s sovereign territory, making Yerevan’s consent essential for any lease or transfer. Yet, he added, without Azerbaijan’s participation the route is meaningless. “If Baku is not confident about safety, it could shift to the alternative link via Iran, which is already under development,” he noted.
Addressing speculation about U.S. military deployment, the professor dismissed it as unfounded, clarifying that any American role would likely involve a private logistics operator with contractual obligations to Armenia, and corporate — not military — security arrangements.
He stressed that the corridor’s importance for Armenia may outweigh its value for Azerbaijan:
“For us, it’s about strategic access to Nakhchivan. For Armenia, isolated by its own policies, it is a question of survival. With most routes closed, the Zangezur Corridor is its only real opportunity to break out of transport isolation.”
Ismayilov also pointed to Russia’s interest, noting media reports of multiple military cargo flights to Armenia in a single week and Moscow’s need for a land route to supply its bases in Gyumri and possibly Zangezur.
“Ultimately, whether this project becomes a bridge for integration or a trigger for new tensions will depend on pragmatic diplomacy, robust guarantees, and the ability of all sides — including the United States — to align their interests without undermining regional stability,” he concluded.
