Representatives of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) are in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, to discuss the importance of opening the “Zangezur corridor.” The discussion is taking place within the framework of Solidarity Forum of NGOs from the OTS member countries, APA reports.

“The Zangezur corridor is a symbol of unity of the Turkic world,” said Mergen Kepbanov, Director of the CAREC Project Office in Turkmenistan. According to him, “The Zangezur corridor creates conditions for the development of cooperation in the Turkic world in the economic, cultural, and public diplomacy spheres, as well as in other areas. Turkmenistan is ready to strengthen cooperation with all countries of the Turkic world in every field.”

In turn, Babur Bekmuradov, Chairman of the Committee of the Legislative Chamber of Uzbekistan’s Oliy Majlis and head of the Yuksalish movement, stated: “The Zangezur Corridor holds strategic importance for the Turkic world and the wider Eurasian region. The Zangezur Corridor is a natural part of the Middle Corridor connecting East and West. The vulnerabilities of traditional transit routes compel us to seek new transit pathways not only for economic reasons but also for national security. The Zangezur Corridor will be the shortest and most convenient transit route for us. It will provide advantages in logistics and cost reduction. On the other hand, this corridor will help us diversify and expand foreign trade. Overall, we can say that interconnectivity between Central Asia and the South Caucasus is entering a new phase with the Zangezur Corridor. We understand that peace and stability are essential for the implementation of such projects. In this regard, Uzbekistan supports the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia.”

And Ozcan Aygun, Deputy Director of the General Directorate of Civil Society Relations of the Turkish Ministry of Internal Affairs noted: “The full operation of the Zangezur corridor will be a historic event and will make a significant contribution to the regional and global economy.”

According to him, this “corridor” will primarily provide significant benefits to the economies of the region and the country, as well as the world economy. “If the opening of the Suez Canal made great contributions to the countries of the region and the global economy, the Zangezur corridor will also be the beginning of serious changes in the regional economy,” the Turkish official said.