Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has said the TRIPP corridor’s railway through Armenian territory also envisages passenger transport. Milli Majlis member Azer Badamov says the move could eventually strengthen Azerbaijan’s transit potential.
Azer Badamov, deputy chairman of the Milli Majlis Committee on Economic Policy, Industry and Entrepreneurship, said establishing passenger transport along the TRIPP route through the Zangezur corridor could be a strategically important step. According to him, the railway stations Mirzoyan referred to could lay the groundwork for this in the future.
Badamov noted that the value of the TRIPP route will no longer be limited to freight transport alone. He said turning such possibilities into reality depends on normalizing ties between Baku and Yerevan, rebuilding transport links and establishing mutual trust between the two sides.
He stressed that it would be unrealistic to expect passenger links between two countries that have been in confrontation for decades to expand rapidly in a short period, but a gradual model of cooperation could emerge over time.
Transport Link with Nakhchivan a Priority
The lawmaker said linking the TRIPP line to the broader transport network connecting Central Asia and Europe could help boost passenger movement in the region, though this process will take considerable time. He added that ensuring a convenient transport connection between Azerbaijan’s mainland and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic remains one of the key issues to be resolved in the near future.
Badamov pointed out that any real benefit from the project will depend on progress in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, the development of transport infrastructure, and how border-crossing rules are regulated. He said that in the long run, the route could help strengthen ties between regional states and boost Azerbaijan’s transit capacity.
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