Russia will be able to transport goods to Armenia through Azerbaijani railways, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksei Overchuk announced. “The Azerbaijani side has confirmed the possibility of using Azerbaijani railways for the transit of Russian products through Azerbaijan to Armenia,” Overchuk told reporters, adding that Russian Railways is now working with regional partners to organize the shipments.
“We have also given relevant instructions to the Ministry of Agriculture to prepare this new logistics route,” he said.
The move follows Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s announcement on October 21 that all trade restrictions with Armenia had been lifted. Aliyev stated in Astana that the first shipment of Kazakh grain would be transported to Armenia through Azerbaijan, marking the reopening of one of the region’s long-closed transit routes.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan welcomed the decision the next day, calling it “an extremely important announcement” and thanking President Aliyev for what he described as an unprecedented gesture of cooperation. “The transit of goods from Azerbaijan to Armenia would have been unthinkable even a few months ago,” Pashinyan said at the 2025 Tbilisi Silk Road Forum.
He stated that Armenia is “ready, not only politically but also technically, starting today, to ensure the transit of freight trucks through Armenian territory from Turkey to Azerbaijan and from Azerbaijan to Turkey.”
Pashinyan added that the same principle applies to the transit route connecting mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhichevan exclave via Armenia but noted that the necessary infrastructure is still under construction.
“Technically, we are not yet ready due to the lack of infrastructure,” he said. “I am confident, and you can be assured, that these technical issues will be resolved within the next two to three years.”
Speaking during a parliamentary discussion of the 2026 draft state budget on Monday, Pashinyan reiterated that Armenia is ready to facilitate truck transit between Turkey and Azerbaijan along the Margara–Yeghegnadzor–Sisian–Goris route.
“This is the only option we can implement right now. Our roads to Goris and Kornidzor are in good condition, and we can ensure transit,” he said, confirming that the first shipment of Kazakh wheat to Armenia via Azerbaijan and Georgia is already underway.
The Prime Minister noted that the unblocking of regional transport communications is part of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project, a U.S.-backed initiative aimed at establishing new trade corridors and promoting economic cooperation across the South Caucasus.
“Intensive work is currently underway with the United States to implement the TRIPP project. This initiative is new for us and the region and has many nuances. I am confident that the issues will be discussed and solutions found as soon as possible. The program will be implemented,” Pashinyan said.
The TRIPP framework was formalized on August 8 in Washington, during a meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and U.S. President Donald Trump, where a broader peace agreement was also initialed.
