Prague, June 14, 2025 – The Europe Today: Hikmat Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, called on Armenia to take the first significant step toward the opening of the Zangezur Corridor during a panel discussion titled “The Middle Corridor: A New Geopolitical and Economic Lifeline?” at the GLOBSEC Forum 2025 in Prague.
Hajiyev underscored that Azerbaijan has ensured complete security and stability in the region and emphasized the importance of regional cooperation and transport connectivity. “We have created complete security and stability in the region. Armenia can also become part of regional cooperation and transport connectivity,” he said.
Highlighting Azerbaijan’s commitment to inclusive regional development, Hajiyev stated that the ongoing negotiations with Armenia aim to build peace and integration, not exclusion. “Our objective is not to isolate or exclude anyone. However, Armenia must also take concrete steps. Armenia kept Nakhchivan under blockade for 30 years. We now expect Armenia to take a significant step toward establishing the Zangezur Corridor,” he noted.
Addressing Armenian concerns over terminology, Hajiyev remarked, “I know the Armenian side is uncomfortable with the word ‘corridor.’ I often joke that I would like all of Azerbaijan to become a corridor. Let them call it a road, a passage — it doesn’t matter. What matters is establishing a direct link with Nakhchivan.”
He further emphasized that the creation of a transport connection with Nakhchivan would not only benefit Azerbaijan but also open substantial opportunities for Armenia. “We want Armenia to become part of the main flow of the regional transport network,” Hajiyev concluded.
The discussion comes amid renewed regional and international focus on connectivity and economic integration through the Middle Corridor, a key transit route linking Europe and Asia.
