On Friday 8 August, the heads of government of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in the White House to sign a peace deal. Importantly for rail freight, it included a framework for the development of the so-called Zangezur Corridor, which could function as an additional Middle Corridor route.
Under the deal, the US gets leasing rights on the corridor, and an American company will lease, oversee construction and manage the Zangezur route. At the same time, it will remain under Armenian jurisdiction. That was a key concern for the country, which was afraid to lose control over the strip of land along the Iranian border.
The corridor is also getting a new name. In true Trumpian fashion, it has been renamed after the US president himself: the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).
Middle Corridor
For rail freight, the development of the corridor could be important as an alternative Middle Corridor route. It would connect Azerbaijan’s two parts through the southernmost part of Armenia. From the western Nakhchivan exclave, the rails would link up to Kars in Türkiye, providing a southern route into the country. A northern route already exists in the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) line.
Earlier, reports circulated that a US company would indeed develop the corridor, but those reports were subsequently denied by the Armenian side. Now, a deal to that end was signed after all. Not everybody is happy with the American involvement in the corridor, however. Iran spoke out against the plan, saying that it would take serious actions to prevent it, but later rescinded its objections.
For Russia, too, the deal is a setback. It is widely seen as a sign of dwindling Russian influence in the region in favour of Türkiye and the US. Russian media have also reacted negatively to the deal, saying that Armenia has been “sold” to Washington.