Expert: Syunik has become a site of incompatible geopolitical  strategies 

ArmInfo. Syunik is becoming an act of narrative struggle: for some, it is a "corridor" of the future, for others, a red line of sovereignty. In other words, it is  a conflict of incompatible strategies, as stated by Karlygash  Zhandildinovna Nugmanova, PHD in Political Science, Professor,  Academician of the Asian Academy of Sciences, and President of the  East-West International Research Center for Geopolitical Forecasting.

According to her, the transit route through Syunik is a pivotal issue  facing the South Caucasus. She noted that while some global actors  view the route as a vital economic gateway, others perceive it as a  tool designed to shift the regional balance of power and infringe  upon Armenian sovereignty. "There are many overlapping interests  here, and therefore there are few transparent solutions. I believe  this is a topic of hidden agreements," the expert noted.

The expert drew a significant parallel between the challenges facing  Armenia and Kazakhstan. Both nations, she argued, are currently  confronting attempts by external centers of power to "redistribute"  their national space through the control of critical infrastructure  and security frameworks. And under these conditions, the expert  believes, the countries risk becoming targets of other countries'  strategies.  "Therefore, first and foremost, we must strengthen our  own agency and develop joint approaches. Together, countries are  capable of not only adapting to new conditions but also formulating a  strategy. We must go beyond formal mechanisms and begin to  constructively infuse our communication with new content," Nugmanova  believes.

And although, according to the political scientist, the countries  currently formally remain part of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU),  de facto this space is increasingly subject to fragmentation of  interests.  "Under these conditions, we are forced to balance between  various centers of power. Ultimately, the struggle today is not about  cooperation, but about the configuration of future [trade and  transit] routes," she concluded," the expert concluded.