Russian Official Visits Yerevan, Says Some Details of U.S.-Backed Transit Route Remain Unclear

Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk visited Armenia on Wednesday for talks with Armenian leaders. The meetings focused on regional transport issues, including the controversial plan for a U.S.-administered transit corridor connecting Azerbaijan to Nakhijevan through Armenia’s Syunik province.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan agreed to the corridor during talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the White House on August 8. A U.S.-Armenian memorandum signed at the meeting reportedly calls for a long-term U.S. lease on the corridor. This plan has drawn attention because the route passes through a strategic part of southern Armenia, near the Iranian border.

Russia has reacted cautiously to the proposal. Officials have emphasized that any agreement should not conflict with Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), a Russian-led trade bloc, or affect the presence of Russian border guards along the Armenian-Iranian border.

Overchuk traveled to Yerevan to discuss “some nuances related primarily to the unblocking of communication routes in the South Caucasus.” Armenian authorities did not specifically mention the U.S.-Armenian corridor in their statement about the meetings. They said Overchuk and Pashinyan discussed bilateral trade and “cooperation within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union.”

Overchuk also met with Armenia’s Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan. An official summary of the discussions said the leaders agreed that regional transport links must be restored with “full respect” for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the states in the region.

Earlier this year, Overchuk warned about the economic consequences if Armenia moved closer to the European Union. In June, he criticized the Armenian government for adopting EU standards for certifying imported food products, saying these rules “contradict the Eurasian Economic Union norms” and could trigger Russian retaliation.

Despite these concerns, Pashinyan has said that Armenia will eventually have to choose between the EU and the EEU, but he currently has no plans to leave the Russian-led bloc.

Overchuk is the only Russian official so far to publicly support the U.S.-backed transport talks in Washington. On August 15, he told journalists: “We view this issue in that context. Armenia is our strategic ally, and if Armenia believes that something is good for them, then of course we support Armenia in this regard.” He added that some details still need to be clarified with all parties involved.

The visit shows Russia’s cautious view of Armenia’s transport plans and its concerns about how the corridor could affect relations with both Moscow and Washington.

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