Armenia received its first shipment of Azerbaijani fuel since 1988 on December 19, with 1,218 tonnes of AI-95 petrol imported by a company linked to Khachatur Sukiasyan, a ruling Civil Contract party member of parliament and a prominent supporter of Prime Minister Pashinyan. The fuel will be sold nationwide through Sukiasyan’s Ran Oil gas station chain starting December 23 at ?440 ($1.15) per liter, significantly lower than the current market price of around ?520 ($1.36). Pashinyan publicly welcomed the fuel delivery and thanked Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for lifting restrictions on the transit of goods to Armenia, calling the move a “major step toward peace and regional stability.”
According to RFE/RL, the shipment was imported by two Armenian companies. The Armenian government has not disclosed which two local companies will sell the Azerbaijani fuel. Mega Trade, part of the Sil Capital group owned by the Sukiasyan family, was the first to confirm its participation in the deal, while the second wholesale buyer remains unidentified.
Mega Trade publicly acknowledged purchasing 600 tonnes of the shipment via an intermediary.
“We made the purchase through an international organization engaged in fuel resale, signing the contract with them, but yes, the origin is Azerbaijani,” the company’s chief executive, Karen Hayriyan, told Factor.am.
He said the discounted fuel will “significantly contribute to reducing fuel prices and creating more transparent pricing in the sector.”
Hayriyan emphasized that the company is operating as a business, not a political actor, and said a decision on future Azerbaijani fuel imports will be made after the first batch is sold.
The fuel delivery followed a November 28 agreement reached in Gabala between Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev and Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, under which 22 tankers of AI-95 gasoline produced by SOCAR were delivered.
The shipment also followed a preliminary peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan reached in Washington in August, which included the creation of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a transport corridor connecting Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave via Armenian territory.
Sukiasyan and his family have expanded their business interests since PM Pashinyan came to power in 2018, securing government contracts and consolidating a strong presence in Armenia’s fuel sector. Recent tax data shows Mega Trade is the country’s fourth-largest fuel importer, highlighting the scale of the family’s operations in a market now directly benefiting from Azerbaijani imports.
Speaking at the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council in St. Petersburg, Pashinyan highlighted opportunities for new transport and logistics cooperation and described the decision to unblock transit cargo as one of the first and most important steps toward lasting peace and stability in the region.
“I express my gratitude to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan for the decision to unblock transit cargo to Armenia through the territory of Azerbaijan, as well as creating conditions for the start of bilateral trade,” Pashinyan said.
Aliyev announced during his October 21 visit to Kazakhstan that Baku had lifted all restrictions on the movement of goods to Armenia. Since the lifting of restrictions, Armenia has already received two shipments of wheat from Russia and Kazakhstan via Azerbaijan and Georgia, with more expected soon. Pashinyan also instructed the South Caucasus Railway Company to restore key border railway sections connecting to Turkey and Azerbaijan, further facilitating trade and regional connectivity.
