Pro-Russian Armenian revanchists have found a new "justification" for a coup d'état in Armenia with the participation of Russia and a new "war for Artsakh". They began to worry not only about the interests of Armenia, but also those of the allied Russian Federation, Iran, stressing that the Zangezur corridor, opened after the conclusion of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan with the mediation of the West, "isolates Iran from the north" and, together with the strengthening of the US presence in Armenia, "contradicts Iran's interests". Therefore, it is said, both Iran, Russia and the supporters of "Greater Armenia" should try to destroy these "intrigues of the West" and prevent the opening of the Zangezur corridor.

On 11 September 2023, the telegram channel of pro-Russian blogger Mika Badalyan, who was recently detained by the Armenian Investigative Committee on charges of illegal arms trafficking but later released, published information that was "alarming" for Armenian nationalists, saying that the Zangezur corridor could be opened before December 2023.

It was not by chance that on 11 September Mika Balalyan began to "sound the alarm" about the "danger of opening the Zangezur corridor". According to some sources, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in his conversation with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on 11 September clearly began to lean towards the early conclusion of a peace treaty with Azerbaijan.

It is clear that Mika Badalyan is connected with the Russian special services, which are now fanning the flames of "Pashinyan's betrayal of Armenia's interests". And these interests, according to them, are not only an alliance with Russia, but also "a joint war for Artsakh".

 It is obvious that pro-Kremlin forces are leading Armenian society to believe that it is "necessary to overthrow" Pashinyan before he signs a peace treaty and opens the Zangezur corridor. And since internal forces are not enough to overthrow Pashinyan, they are planning to organise it with external participation, which in fact means the beginning of a "great war" in the South Caucasus region. (https://t.me/mikayelbad/27249 ):

 "The West plans to open the "Zangezur corridor" in December 2023

Interesting information has appeared on Google Maps that a section of the motorway between Syunik and Nakhijevan will be opened in December 2023. The opening of this section may be interesting only for the implementation of the "Zangezur Corridor" project.

Google bases its maps on data from national mapping institutes. In Armenia such institutes have been dissolved for a long time, Russia obviously could not give the information to Google, if Azerbaijan would give the information, Armenia would not exist, so the only option is to get information from the National Institute of Cartography of the United States, whatever it is called.

This information proves that it is the West that is behind everything that is happening in the region, and it is the West that is behind the organisation of the future conflict, the aim of which is the implementation of the "Zangezur Corridor" project and the dismemberment of Armenia.”

But the West does not really need a conflict in the South Caucasus today. Armenian nationalists, who do not want to give up their claims to other people's territories, withdraw illegal armed separatist formations from Azerbaijani Karabakh, conclude a peace treaty with Azerbaijan and unblock communications, are organising the conflict, or rather want to ignite a "great war". This includes the Zangezur corridor, which the Armenian side has long promised to open in accordance with the November 2020 trilateral peace agreement.

As for the West, it looks at the realities. These realities can be seen on Google Maps. The Zangezur Corridor is needed by the world economy, both East and West. And, objectively, it needs to be opened. The sooner the better for all. Including Armenia and the Armenian people, who will be freed from the ruinous isolation that their aggressive policy towards their neighbours has led to.

As for Iran, it has been and remains an international pariah. Most other world players do their utmost to minimise its participation in international projects. The fact that one of the main topics at the G20 summit was the India-EU corridor bypassing Iran is evidence of this. Iran still opposes the Zangezur corridor, but this is unlikely to slow down its opening, given the interest of Western countries in the corridor.

Grigol Giorgadze