The Zangezur Corridor and the North–South Transport Corridor are not competitors, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said following the 13th meeting of CIS Security Council secretaries.

Axar.az informs Shoigu stressed that both routes are strategically important and complement each other. “Both roads have the right to exist. They’re essential for connecting Azerbaijan with its regions and for facilitating trade between countries,” he said.

He noted that the North–South Corridor links the ports of the Indian Ocean with the Northern Sea Route. “I don’t see any problem or competition here—no one is trying to bypass anyone,” Shoigu added.

He also pointed out that Russia is a vast country with a developed transport network, saying, “Any new road is always a good thing.”