Exclusive control of the so called “corridor” by any foreign entity transforms it from a corridor to a chokehold: Karnig Kerkonian

Karnig Kerkonian, an international lawyer and lead counsel in several precedent-setting Armenian rights matters in U.S. and international courts, writes on his Facebook page.

“SHOCK DOCTRINE: A WARNING FOR ARMENIA. Reports suggest the #Trump administration has secured exclusive U.S. rights to develop the so-called “Zangezur corridor” through Armenia as part of a new “peace framework” between #Armenia and #Azerbaijan.

On the surface, this might look like diplomacy. In reality, it follows the classic playbook of the #ShockDoctrine by @NaomiAKlein: exploit a fragile, post-war Armenia—shattered, isolated, and politically cornered—to push through a geopolitical and economic project that serves foreign interests and emboldens regional aggressors, all while Armenia is too destabilized, misguided, and weak to resist.

The so-called “corridor” through Armenia’s southern #Syunik province is not just a route. It is a strategic artery, a sovereignty threshold, and a historical frontier. Exclusive control by any foreign entity—especially one brokering deals with Armenia’s enemies—transforms it from a corridor to a chokehold.

And don’t be fooled by the “private entity” nomenclature. That’s empty semantics. If undertaken, Armenia will never again be in a position to tell the “U.S private company” to leave. This will mean a loss of de facto sovereignty for Armenia—a loss that will prove irreversible”.