Aliyev calls ‘Zangezur Corridor’ opening Washington summit’s important result

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has called the opening of the “Zangezur Corridor” one of the key outcomes of the Washington summit.

Aliyev stated at the 12th Summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) in Gabala that “in today’s world, military power is the main factor ensuring any country’s independence and territorial integrity.”

“Two months ago, the pre-signing of a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia at the White House will turn the South Caucasus into a zone of peace. In line with the joint appeal at the Washington summit regarding the closure of the OSCE Minsk Group and related structures, these remnants of the past conflict were also eliminated by the OSCE’s decision on Sept. 1,” Aliyev said.

He described the opening of the “Zangezur Corridor” as another significant achievement of the summit.

“The Zangezur Corridor is of great importance as a new transport artery and a second route within both the Middle Corridor and the North-South Corridor frameworks,” Aliyev stated.

The Washington agreement, however, contains no reference to the “Zangezur Corridor.” The document refers instead to the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP) — a project linking Azerbaijan with the Nakhijevan enclave through Armenian territory. Under the deal, the U.S. receives exclusive development rights for 99 years.

The Washington Declaration stipulates that all infrastructure will operate under Armenia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and jurisdiction, obliging the parties to open transport connections at domestic, bilateral, and international levels while respecting these principles.

Nonetheless, Azerbaijan continues at the highest level to refer to TRIPP as the “Zangezur Corridor,” implying an extraterritorial route and territorial claims over Armenia’s sovereign land.