French energy giant`s activities in Nakhichevan should be considered in context of operation of Zangezur corridor
One of the specialized companies in France, the energy giant Total Energies, will build power plants with a total capacity of 650 MW in Nakhijevan. The electricity produced at the stations will be exported to Turkey and Europe, stated Professor of the Russian- Armenian University, head of the Institute of Energy Security (Armenia), Doctor of Political Sciences Vahe Davtyan.
According to him, of course, this fact does not prevent Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev from talking about Paris as suffering from a colonial complex.
"This does not prevent Paris from expressing pro-Armenian rhetoric. Words are words, but no one is going to refuse profitable cooperation "on the ground."
The activation of the French energy giant in Nakhijevan should also be considered in the perspective of the possible opening of the Zangezur Corridor," the political scientist noted.
In this vein, she recalled that starting from 2020, Baku promises Europe to build a gas pipeline and power transmission line along the corridor. "Naturally, in order to reduce energy dependence on Russia," he stated.
In conclusion, Davtyan noted that the board of directors of Total Energies includes people who have direct influence on the domestic and foreign policy of France.
The Meghri route (the so-called Zangezur corridor) is a project of a transport route about 40 km long through the territory of the Syunik region of Armenia, which would provide transport links between the western regions of Azerbaijan and its exclave Nakhijevan Autonomous Republic. The opening of transport routes in the region was provided for by the agreements that ended the second Karabakh war in November 2020.
It is noteworthy that Turkey and Azerbaijan are trying to impose their vision of this project and achieve an extraterritorial corridor through the Syunik region of Armenia.