What does the removal of the Zangezur corridor from the peace agreement between Yerevan and Baku mean?

A recent interview with the Azerbaijani President's aide on Radio "Azadliq," in which he stated that Baku and Yerevan had agreed to remove the Zangezur Corridor clause from the peace agreement and leave its discussion for later, went largely unnoticed.

Amirbekov's admission can be considered sensational, as up until now, categorical statements were made at the highest level that without Armenia's agreement to open the Zangezur Corridor, the peace agreement would not be signed. What, then, has happened that caused Baku to change its position?

Amirbekov's admission coincided with reports about the possibility of placing the Zangezur Corridor under international control. This idea was hinted at during the visit of U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Jim O'Brien to the region, and earlier, European Council President Charles Michel also mentioned it. Unexpectedly, Iran's leader Ali Khamenei spoke out about the "harmfulness" of this project for Armenia. Following him, Russian Security Council head Sergei Shoigu, who arrived in Baku from Tehran, emphasized the need to prevent the West from entering the South Caucasus.

From all this, it can be concluded that the idea of establishing international control over the Zangezur Corridor was developed by the U.S. and the European Union. The purpose of this idea is to prevent Russia from entering the corridor, something that Yerevan strongly desires.

It seems that Western partners have also managed to convince Baku that the presence of Russian forces in this corridor does not benefit Azerbaijan and that it would be better to have some kind of international forces with a defined status there. This explains the concern of Moscow and Tehran, who are trying to persuade or pressure Armenia not to take this step.

In turn, the U.S. is pressuring Baku, urging it to accept this option and not to escalate the situation at the border. In reality, there is a confrontation between Washington and Moscow for influence in the South Caucasus. It is clear that neither side wants to back down.

The course of peace negotiations between Baku and Yerevan in the near future will show whether the West can bring this idea to life.