Aliyev Outlines Plans to Effectively Take Over Trump Route—Syunik Province

President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan speaks to an AzTV reporter in Nakhichevan on Aug. 12

Says Armenia ‘Capitulated’ and ‘Surendered’

President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan on Wednesday outlined his vision for the proposed Trump Route that would run through Armenia’s Syunik Province, asserting that route is far more than a transport road, but an opportunity for Azerbaijan to exert its presence within Armenia—essentially signaling a takeover of the road, by calling it “East Zangezur.”

But first, Aliyev said that by signing the November 9, 2020 agreement, which ended the Artsakh War, Armenia capitulated.

“Following the conclusion of the Second Karabakh War, a trilateral statement was signed by the President of Azerbaijan, the President of Russia, and the Prime Minister of Armenia. In fact, this was an act of capitulation by Armenia, because Armenia surrendered,” Aliyev said in an interview with Azerbaijani television from Nakhichevan.

“At that time, the Aghdam, Kalbajar, and Lachin districts, which were still under occupation—we had not yet liberated those territories through military means—were returned to us without a single shot being fired,” Aliyev added.

“Naturally, Armenia did not do this voluntarily; we compelled them to do so. If, under wartime conditions, you compel the other side to take such a step, it means that the other side has capitulated,” the Azerbaijani leader emphasized.

Aliyev told the AzTV reporter that the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity is not merely a transport road, but rather he envisions it as an “energy corridor.”

The project implies the construction of not only a railway or highway, Aliyev said. “Fiber-optic cables, power lines, and in the future, if needed, oil and gas pipelines can also pass through here. Because the more alternatives there are, the better it is for everyone,” he added.

“As for Armenia, I would like to reiterate that the sooner the energy corridor is established in Armenia, the better it will be for TRIPP and the entire region,” he said.

“In other words, if we undertake this project, it would take no more than six months. However, Armenia must, of course, do this itself. Therefore, I believe this issue should be clarified shortly. This will be an integral part of the Zangezur corridor, of TRIPP,” he said.

“When we put forward the idea and initiative for the Zangezur corridor, first and foremost, we had the transport component in mind. But today, we view it in a broader context. For instance, our project to construct power transmission lines from the main part of Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan through the territory of Armenia is ready,” Aliyev told AzTV.

Azerbaijan has built a large substation in the liberated Jabrayil district, whose main function is not domestic supply but the transmission of large volumes of energy, he said.

“It is ready and was constructed specifically for the Zangezur energy corridor. As a result of the analysis conducted by our specialists in Armenia, the exact locations have even been identified for the installation of power transmission towers. I hope the Armenian side will not delay this matter either. Because, first of all, they themselves may need it,” he added.

He argued that the primary source of energy for Armenia is the Metsamor Nuclear Power plant, which he said Armenia does not control, presumably referring to its management by a Russian company.

“This plant is outdated and poses a threat to the entire region. Azerbaijan and Turkey have repeatedly expressed their concerns regarding this issue on various international platforms. The lifespan of that plant cannot be extended indefinitely; it will have to be shut down sooner or later,” Aliyev said.

“Naturally, if it is shut down, Armenia will plunge entirely into an energy crisis. Therefore, as they say, having an additional source of energy can only be beneficial.”

There have been no reports from the Armenian government that Azerbaijani “specialists” conducted analysis in Armenia to advance Aliyev’s agenda. Certainly, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his government must address this matter.

Aliyev also said that the plan for the so-called “Zangezur Corridor” was engrained in the Nov. 9, 2020 agreement and blamed Armenia for delaying it and Russia for not effectively managing the process. He said, however, all that changed when he and Pashinyan met with President Donald Trump in Washington last year and signed the TRIPP agreement.

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