Armenia says first shipment of Azerbaijani fuel crossing into country via Georgia

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Armenia said on Friday that the first shipment of Azerbaijani fuel is crossing into the country via neighboring Georgia.

Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan wrote on US social media company Facebook that a train of 22 wagons “carrying 1,300 tons of Azerbaijani-origin A95 gasoline” are currently crossing the border with neighboring Georgia.

He said the train is crossing into Armenia through the railway station in the town of Ayrum.

“Perhaps, this is the first trade and economic transaction between Armenia and Azerbaijan not only after the peace established between the two countries, but also after independence in general,” Papoyan added.

The minister’s statement comes just a day after Azerbaijani state news agency Azertac reported that State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) is delivering domestically produced petroleum products to Armenia for the first time.

It said 1,220 tons of fuel loaded into 22 railway wagons was dispatched from a terminal in Baku, and the fuel was being transported to neighboring Georgia, through which it will be delivered to Armenia.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan commented earlier Thursday, welcoming the development.

“The trade is taking place between private companies. But, of course, it is the peace established between Armenia and Azerbaijan that has created the political conditions for this trade,” Pashinyan was quoted as saying by Armenian state news agency Armenpress.

In October, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced Baku lifted all restrictions on cargo transit to Armenia, which was welcomed by Pashinyan as an “extremely important announcement.”

The two Southern Caucasus neighbors signed a declaration at a trilateral summit at the White House in August, along with US President Donald Trump, to end decades of conflict, with commitments to cease hostilities, reopen transport routes and normalize relations.