Uzbekistan Highlights Economic Gains from Upcoming Zangezur Corridor

The opening of the Zangezur Corridor is set to bring substantial benefits to countries along its route, according to an analytical report prepared under Uzbekistan's Ministry of Transport project.

The 43-kilometer railway section will connect mainland Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, offering a key solution to ease congestion on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) route, The Caspian Post reports via Uzbek media.

“The corridor will shorten the route from Azerbaijan to Türkiye. Currently, cargo trains travel roughly 250 kilometers through Georgian territory. Once the railway to the Azerbaijani border village of Aghband is completed, the distance between Azerbaijan and Türkiye will decrease by 343 kilometers, saving time and costs and cutting delivery times by about one day compared to the route via Georgia,” the report notes.

The study emphasizes that the Zangezur Corridor will complement, rather than replace, the BTK route, enhancing the overall transit potential of the region.

All countries involved in the Asia-Europe transport and logistics chain are expected to benefit. The new corridor will facilitate land access from Asia to European markets, expand regional logistics capabilities, and boost demand for transit services.

For Central Asian nations, the initiative represents a strategic gateway to markets in Türkiye, Romania, and Bulgaria via Azerbaijani territory.

The report also highlights Azerbaijan’s priority to ensure the corridor’s full operational launch, which could benefit the wider region, including Armenia. Beyond providing direct rail connections between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the corridor will establish a transport link connecting Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Iran through the historic Julfa node in Nakhchivan.

Moreover, the Kars-Gyumri-Nakhchivan-Meghri-Baku route will create direct railway links between Türkiye and regional countries, offering a fresh boost to interregional cooperation, the report concludes.