Prospects for expanding the EU and developing the trans-Caspian international transport route
The European Union (EU) does not rule out the possibility that Armenia could become a new candidate for membership in the union. This was reported by Politico. During a conversation with journalists, one of the European officials joked that Armenia could become “the next Moldova”. Chisinau has had associate membership of the EU since 2014, and since June 2024, formal negotiations on joining the union have begun.
According to the publication, increased cooperation with Yerevan and Baku after peace is established between these countries could improve EU relations with Türkiye. In addition, the implementation of the Middle Corridor project (Trans-Caspian International Transport Route) is impossible without the participation of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The project is intended to be an updated version of the historic Silk Road and an alternative to the Russian-controlled Northern Route.
The EU believes that traffic volumes along the Central Corridor have quadrupled since 2022. With the right funding, by the end of the decade this figure could triple.
Issues related to the project were discussed at the third Economic Forum “European Union – Central Asia”, recently held in Tashkent. The event was attended by EU Commissioner for Enlargement Martha Kos and EU Commissioner for International Cooperation Josef Sickel. At the forum, European officials actively interacted with the Armenian and Azerbaijani delegations.