Ilham Aliyev stated that when the American side was involved in the negotiations on opening the communication routes, the Azerbaijani side’s message was that there should be strong international security guarantees for the safe travel of Azerbaijani citizens.
“Our message to them was: if the “Zangezur Corridor” does not function and is not safe, then for Azerbaijani citizens to be able to travel safely along this 40-plus-kilometer route, there should be firm, international security guarantees.
Security guarantees from Armenia alone will not be enough. Thus, the Trump administration duly accepted this legitimate concern, and it turned into TRIPP, the Trump International Peace and Prosperity Initiative. So, now that President Trump has given his name to the “Zangezur Corridor,” I am sure that it will be implemented soon,” Aliyev said.
According to him, the construction of the railway on Armenia’s territory may take several years, and American investors can undertake it.
“So, now, I think, it is very close to implementation, and now it is up to Armenia to do its part of the work. As for us, I would like to say again that all the infrastructure connecting the two parts of Azerbaijan on our territory is now being implemented,” he said.
Aliyev also noted that the new road will be one of the branches of the Middle Corridor.
“The second corridor will pass through the territory of Armenia, and this is beneficial for Armenia. I was trying to convey this to my Armenian counterpart: after all, they will become a transit country. Every country, if it has the potential, tries to become a transit country. For example, we want to be a transit country. We want the corridors to cross Azerbaijan from east to west and from north to south,” he added.
According to the Azerbaijani president, thanks to the “Zangezur Corridor,” Armenia will receive transit fees for transportation. He is confident that it will become a vital transport link connecting the continents.
