Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has officially announced the opening of a new transport corridor linking Armenia with the European Union via Georgia and Turkey - bypassing the traditional routes through Russian territory. It's a quiet but historic decision that could mark the end of decades of Armenian-Russian alliance.

The initiative includes preparations for direct rail links with Turkey, Azerbaijan and Iran. For Armenia, this is the first serious attempt in its modern history to diversify regional transport links and reduce its economic dependence on Moscow.

Why now? The context is clear. Relations between Moscow and Yerevan are deteriorating - especially because of Russia's inactivity during the Nagorno-Karabakh crisis. For Armenia, that was proof that Russian security guarantees did not mean what they seemed to mean. When you need an ally in a moment of crisis and they don't show up, you think again about the deal.

The new corridor positions Armenia as a transit hub in the South Caucasus - a geographically powerful position if it develops correctly. At the same time, it gives Armenian businesses access to European markets, which is strategically important to make up for the losses from Russian sanctions that hit them too.

For the Balkans, this is a message. Countries that historically leaned on Russia as a security or economic anchor are now rethinking whether that's a sensible strategy. Armenia is making a decision many in our region only have on paper, but have never carried out with this kind of openness. The question is whether Brussels will respond with concrete investment, or leave Yerevan to build the new road on its own.