At a press briefing, Russian Foreign Ministry representative Maria Zakharova emphasized that Russia has not yet been presented with the specifics of the U.S.-brokered transport corridor between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“We can only form a final picture of how this transport route will function once we are familiar with the concrete details. That has not happened yet,” she said, according to TASS.
She noted that the involvement of external players in South Caucasus processes, including reopening communications, should primarily serve the interests of regional states and their immediate neighbors.
Zakharova also highlighted several factors: Armenia is part of the Eurasian Economic Union’s customs union, the South Caucasus Railway is a subsidiary of Russian Railways, and Russian border guards under international treaties ensure security in the area where the route is planned.
She recalled that within the trilateral working group on transport unblocking, many important agreements had already been reached and remain relevant. “That is why we opt for continuing an effective dialogue with the Armenian side on this matter,” Zakharova said.
On August 8 in Washington, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and U.S. President Donald Trump signed a joint declaration on reopening regional transport links. Under the agreement, a road through Armenia’s Syunik region will connect mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhichevan. The route was named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, while in Azerbaijan, it is also referred to as the “Zangezur Corridor.”
