The southern railway connection between Azerbaijan and Turkey via Armenia's Zangezur region could reduce travel time by 25% compared to the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars route.

Axar.az reports that this information was released by the European Commission.

“For the EU, improving transport links with Turkey, the Eastern Partnership region, including the South Caucasus and Central Asia, can enable faster and more reliable import of raw materials and goods, open new export markets across Eurasia, and promote mutually beneficial trade.

In this context, with the reliability of the Northern Corridor decreasing and the development of the Southern Route slowing, the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor is considered the most promising route for a stable, diversified, and geopolitically resilient multimodal transport connection between Europe and Asia.

Moreover, significant growth in regional freight transport and the agreement reached between Armenia and Azerbaijan on August 8 could further strengthen the position of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor as the most suitable route for sustainable and diversified regional connectivity,” the report noted.

It was emphasized that when discussing the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey are identified as the main players on the China-to-Europe route. However, countries such as Armenia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, and Ukraine also play an important role.

“The Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor could also benefit from the restoration of relations between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey amid recent geopolitical developments in the South Caucasus. This can help diversify trade routes and remove existing obstacles. It could also significantly improve Armenia’s relations with the EU.”