Politico: Development of new program could contribute to economic growth in South Caucasus

The resolution of the Karabakh issue and the return of previously occupied territories create an opportunity for Azerbaijan to take a constructive role in the South Caucasus region, said Janusz Bugajski, a senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, Report informs via Politico.

Janusz Bugajski notes that to normalize relations between official Baku and Yerevan, Western forces, such as the US and the EU, as well as Türkiye, should play a leading role in the mediation process.

In his opinion, the countries mentioned “will benefit from such a settlement, which could help strengthen security ties and economic interconnectedness in the region.”

The article notes that the local anti-terrorism measures carried out by Azerbaijan in the Karabakh region were not aimed at carrying out “ethnic cleansing,” which was reflected in the reports of international organizations, including the UN mission.

According to the author, the establishment of trade ties between Baku and Yerevan, full-fledged diplomatic relations between Armenia and Türkiye, as well as the progress of a new regional development program could contribute to the economic development of the region as a whole.

The Jamestown Foundation senior fellow also emphasizes the importance of opening the Zangazur corridor, which “could become an important trade route directly linking the Caspian basin with Türkiye and other countries.”