Armenia is likely to claim the part of the flow of transit goods that currently passes or is planned to pass through Azerbaijan in the North-South corridor. For this, an updated concept of the Persian Gulf-Black Sea corridor is promoted. Similar perspectives are discussed by Indian news resource Firstpost.
India could soon get another trade route to Russia and Europe if the proposal reportedly put forward by Armenia for the Persian Gulf-Black Sea corridor is accepted. The idea was proposed by senior Armenian officials last week during a visit to India by Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan. According to reports, the proposed corridor is expected to connect Mumbai to the port city of Bandar Abbas in Iran, then pass through Armenia, to Russia or Europe.
said the portal.
Firstpost also writes that “the Persian Gulf-Black Sea Corridor will run parallel to the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) bypassing Azerbaijan, which does not have good relations with India due to the republic’s close relations Transcaucasian with Turkey and Pakistan”.
Armenia, which has recently developed close ties with India amid growing purchases of Indian military equipment, has reportedly been seeking investment to build a Persian Gulf-Black Sea corridor on Armenian soil, writes Firstpost.
As the New Cold War undermines economic and political relations between Russia and the West, any large-scale transit of goods across the border between Russia and Europe seems too risky for international logistics and transport companies. assurance.
At the same time, India’s need for additional trade routes to reach Europe by bypassing the Suez Canal remains relevant. In parallel to the discussions around the North-South corridor, Iran presented in 2016 a project for a new Persian Gulf-Black Sea international transport corridor, which should connect Iran to Europe via the South Caucasus.
Negotiations were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, but all potential participants – Iran, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria and Greece – have expressed interest in the project.
It should also be noted that India’s trade with the Russian Federation through the North-South Corridor has markedly increased since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. However, Azerbaijan is a key part of this route, which connects Mumbai to Russia via Iran and the Caspian Sea.
It should be noted that in addition to India, Iran and Russia have complicated relations with Azerbaijan. In November 2020, Baku shot down a Russian Mi-24 helicopter with impunity over the internationally recognized territory of Armenia, killing two crew members.
Photos used: alstom.com
