Turkish FM urges for opening Zangezur corridor

BAKU

The events after the Russia-Ukraine war once again demonstrated the importance of sustainable transportation lines, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has said while stressing the importance of opening the Zangezur corridor that will connect Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan.

The opening of new connections will have a positive impact on the region, and in this respect, Türkiye supports the process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, he said, speaking after a three-way meeting in Baku on June 27.

The foreign and transportation ministers from Türkiye, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan came together in a bid to strengthen regional connectivity.

“We strongly support the Zangezur corridor, which will connect the western regions of Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan, and we expect the corridor to be opened as soon as possible,” Çavuşoğlu said.

Underlining that Türikye, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are in close cooperation on many international platforms, Çavuşoğlu said this cooperation gained more importance due to the challenges in the region.

“These developments bring opportunities. There are risks, there are crises, but there are also opportunities. Therefore, we aim to evaluate these opportunities for the benefit of our countries, our rights and our region,” he said.

Referring to the grain trade problems that arose due to the Ukraine-Russia war, Çavuşoğlu said Türkiye makes great efforts to solve the problem with the United Nations.

“We have seen once again how important sustainable and safe transportation lines are in this crisis,” he said. Therefore, the regional countries have to increase their national and regional capacity.

“We have made and continue to make important investments. Projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline and TANAP have changed the face of our region,” Çavuşoğlu stated.

He recalled the projects implemented by Türkiye, such as Marmaray, Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge and 1915 Çanakkale Bridge, saying, “We will continue to work with our ministries of transport in this format to further develop the middle corridor. Caspian crossings are of great importance. We are ready to work to make this place more attractive.”