Armenia Offers India a Trade Corridor through Georgia

The Armenian government proposes a Persian Gulf-Black Sea trade corridor through Georgia to connect India with Russia and Europe, bypassing Azerbaijan and benefiting from Indian funding and expertise.

Armenia is seeking to attract Indian investments for a proposed trade corridor connecting Mumbai to Europe through the territory of Iran-Armenia-Georgia, bypassing Azerbaijan, as the country has a closer relationship with Turkey and Pakistan than with India.

The Armenian government is negotiating with India to attract Indian funding and companies for the project, which aims to create additional trade routes to Europe and bypass the Suez Canal.

Benyamin Poghosyan, head of the Center for Political-Economic Strategic Research in Yerevan and senior researcher of APRI-Armenia, states that by creating additional trade routes to Europe, Armenia is interested in bypassing Azerbaijan and India in bypassing the Suez Canal, so that Delhi can avoid the consequences of Russia-West confrontation.

The proposed corridor would connect the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas with Armenia, which has rail and road connections with Georgia, while Azerbaijan's railway runs to the border of Iran.