Armenia Rejects U.S. Proposal for Azerbaijan Corridor, Defends Sovereignty Over Syunik

The Armenian government has firmly rejected a U.S. plan to lease a land corridor to Azerbaijan through the Syunik province. The proposed so-called corridor would connect mainland Azerbaijan to its Nakhijevan exclave, slicing through Armenia’s southern territory—a vital region for the country’s sovereignty and security.

The proposal was recently made public by U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Thomas Barrack, who said Washington had offered a 100-year lease on the corridor. Under this arrangement, an American company would operate the route, creating a direct land connection for Azerbaijan across Armenian territory. The plan was reportedly designed to help secure a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan after years of conflict, war, and occupation.

But Armenian officials and citizens see it differently. They view this corridor not as a peace-building initiative, but as a serious threat to Armenia’s independence, territorial integrity, and national security.

Nazeli Baghdasaryan, the press secretary for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, quickly ruled out the U.S. offer. She clarified that Armenia’s laws only allow leasing land for farming or grazing—not for construction of foreign-controlled infrastructure. “The Americans had such an idea but it was not acceptable to us ... because we saw a danger of ceding our sovereignty there,” said Arman Yeghoyan, a senior member of Armenia’s Parliament who is aligned with the ruling party.

Despite these public denials, Pashinyan’s own statements on the issue appear more ambiguous. During a July 16 press conference, he noted that such agreements could be legally framed as construction permits, which could potentially allow foreign investment in infrastructure. He added that such investments would eventually become the property of the Republic of Armenia after a contract expires.

This vague language has fueled concern that Armenia’s leadership may be softening its resistance behind closed doors.

Opposition parties have not remained silent. They argue that the so-called “corridor” is nothing less than a backdoor attempt by Azerbaijan and its international backers to gain control over Armenia’s Syunik province—an area that borders Iran and serves as a critical transit and security buffer for Armenia. If this land were leased or placed under foreign control, even temporarily, it would undermine Armenia’s ability to monitor its own borders, control transit flows, and protect its sovereignty.

What’s more troubling is Azerbaijan’s ongoing push to remove Armenian oversight of this route altogether. President Ilham Aliyev has repeatedly demanded that the corridor be exempt from Armenian customs and security controls, essentially creating an extraterritorial passage. On July 14, Baghdasaryan dismissed these demands as a “hidden territorial claim against Armenia.” But critics fear that such warnings are not enough.

The proposed corridor, often referred to by Aliyev as the “Zangezur Corridor,” is part of Azerbaijan’s long-term plan to weaken Armenia’s control over its southern regions and increase its own regional influence. This plan is being supported not just by Azerbaijan’s ally Turkey, but now seemingly also by diplomatic efforts from the United States.

Armenia has already suffered major territorial and humanitarian losses in recent years—from the 2020 war in Artsakh to the ethnic cleansing of its native population in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023. Allowing a foreign-controlled corridor through Syunik would only deepen those wounds. It would place vital Armenian territory in foreign hands, weaken the country’s southern border, and cut Armenia off from Iran—a key partner in trade and regional diplomacy.

The people of Armenia, and especially the residents of Syunik, have repeatedly voiced their opposition to any deal that would hand over even partial control of their land to Azerbaijan or foreign powers. They see this proposal as yet another attempt to pressure Armenia into making one-sided concessions while Azerbaijan continues to issue threats and demands.

Armenia’s answer should remain clear: no corridor, no compromise, and no ceding of land—especially not to a country like Azerbaijan that has repeatedly shown hostility, aggression, and disregard for Armenian lives and rights.

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