Opening of  "Zangezur corridor" aligns with France`s interests in  Central Asian uranium - expert

ArmInfo.The opening of the "Zangezur corridor" aligns with France's interests in Central Asian uranium, says political scientist Vahe Davtyan.  

The expert recalled that on February 10, a meeting was held at the Elysee Palace between  French President Emmanuel Macron and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan. In this vein, he pointed out that this is Pashinyan's  ninth visit to Paris as prime minister.  He then touched upon  Armenian-French cooperation in the defense sector, noting that the  first agreement on this  cooperation  between Paris and Yerevan was  signed in 2010.  According to the expert, Paris's strategy is mainly  focused on transport and logistics interests. Davtyan recalled that  France is one of the global leaders in  nuclear energy.

"Stable supplies of nuclear fuel for Paris are a priority for  national energy security. After the military coup in Niger in 2023,  France faced problems with uranium supplies. In the context of the  special operation in Ukraine, transport routes from Central Asia to  Russia and further to Europe were effectively paralyzed. The only, or  most expedient, alternative route is the so-called ''Middle  Corridor'' - Central Asia - South Caucasus (Georgia) - Turkey -  Europe," the expert believes.

Davtyan noted that the intensification of military cooperation with  Armenia fits into Paris's strategy to strengthen its position at the  key link of the international East-West corridor - in the South  Caucasus. He believes that if transport communications in the region  are unblocked and, in particular, the so-called "Zangezur Corridor"  Armenia can automatically become part of the "Middle Corridor",  ensuring its diversification.

He also noted that the economic situation is rather modest. "In 2024,  the foreign trade turnover between Armenia and France amounted to 158  million US dollars, which is 10.7% less than the previous year. At  the same time, among EU countries, France is not even the leader in  the number of Armenia's trading partners, falling behind Germany,  Italy, the Netherlands, and Belgium," Davtyan concluded.