New roads in South Caucasus mean investment flow and business development - Russian political analyst

By Trend

One of the main issues on the agenda of the trilateral meeting among Russian President Vladimir Putin, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was the issue of unblocking communications, Darya Grevtsova, political analyst and deputy director of the Russian Institute for Political Studies, told Trend.

"A working group was created to study it under the leadership of the deputy prime ministers of the governments of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia,” the analyst added. “They will develop projects for the construction of roads in several directions."

Grevtsova stressed that the road will run from Armenia through Azerbaijan to Russia.

“A road will also be created from Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan and further to Turkey,” the analyst said.

"As new logistics routes will pass through Azerbaijan, it will be beneficial for Azerbaijan, Russia, and Armenia,” the analyst said. “This will allow Azerbaijan to begin the next peaceful economic stage of the integration of the Nagorno-Karabakh region into the Republic of Azerbaijan. All these infrastructure projects will have a positive impact on its economic development as new roads mean an inflow of investments and business development wherever they pass.”

Grevtsova added that the working group will need to solve several tasks.

“First, it is necessary to determine on the map where these roads will pass and how difficult it is geographically, in terms of the landscape, to build them,” the analyst said. “Secondly, it is necessary to determine the main contractors who will build the roads - Russian, Azerbaijani, Armenian or Turkish companies. Thirdly, it is necessary to distribute funding - who will bear costs. It is not so easy as huge financial resources are required.”

“This trilateral meeting outlined a very big scope of work, which in the future will bring great benefit to Azerbaijan, Russia, and Armenia,” the analyst said.

Commenting on how the new realities being created in the region after the signing of the trilateral statement on January 11, 2020, will affect the development of relations between Azerbaijan and Russia, the political analyst stressed that relations between the two countries will actively develop and new infrastructure projects will increase the level of cooperation between the countries.

Grevtsova stressed that it is also worth paying attention to the interpersonal relations of the two presidents - Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev, how they communicate and support each other.

It is very important when there is joint work,” the analyst said. “The level of mutual understanding will also affect the effectiveness of projects. It is not a coincidence that Vladimir Putin devoted his first working day in 2021 to the topic of the trilateral agreement on the Nagorno-Karabakh region. To resolve this complex conflict forever is a very important task for Russia."