Azerbaijani Official Confirms Armenian Government in Talks With Baku on Oil Exports

The Armenian public has learned from Azerbaijani sources that the Armenian government is discussing with Baku the possible export of oil and petroleum products from Azerbaijan to Armenia. At a discussion held in Doha, Hikmet Hajiyev, assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, stated that Yerevan and Baku are indeed holding talks on this issue.

According to the high-ranking Azerbaijani official, the two sides addressed the topic of oil exports at the end of last month in the Azerbaijani city of Gabala.

“One of the sectors currently under discussion on our side is the export of oil and petroleum products from Azerbaijan to Armenia. This is also an unprecedented development,” Hajiyev said.

Official Tbilisi announced today that last weekend Georgia received a request from its partners to use the country as a transit route for fuel shipments. “On December 5 of this year, the Government of Georgia received a request from partners regarding the single transit of fuel from Azerbaijan to Armenia through Georgia. By the decision of Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, ‘Georgian Railways’ was instructed to immediately and fully carry out the single railway transport of the cargo free of charge,” the statement said.

For this one-time transit of Azerbaijani petroleum products to Armenia, Georgia will not charge a fee, the Georgian Ministry of Economy announced on December 8.

When is the first batch of Azerbaijani petroleum products expected?

Following the Georgian announcement, Armenia’s Minister of Economy, Gevorg Papoyan, confirmed in a conversation with RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that the Georgian Minister of Economy informed him the first batch of Azerbaijani petroleum products will be transported to Armenia via Georgia without customs duties. According to Papoyan, the Georgian side views this step as a gesture toward the peace process. However, he declined to specify when the first shipment is expected to arrive.

Armenian economists are raising sharp questions about the possible import of Azerbaijani fuel, stressing that its real economic value will become clear only after two key issues are examined: the price Azerbaijan is prepared to offer and whether the quality of its gasoline and diesel meets Eurasian standards. They note that Armenia consumes around 300,000 tons of fuel annually—almost all of it coming from Russia without laboratory checks due to EAEU rules—while Azerbaijani fuel would require full testing before entering the Armenian market. Experts warn that if the fuel fails to meet EAEU norms, it cannot be cleared, since once inside Armenia it acquires EAEU status and could be re-exported to Russia.

While Russian fuel has known quality concerns, it still maintains a price advantage because Armenia receives it below market cost and without export duties. At the same time, economists point to a recent decision removing customs duties on fuel imports from third countries, including Azerbaijan, which could alter the cost balance. They also note that SOCAR (the State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic) already operates a strong, competitive network in Georgia, adding another layer of complexity to how Azerbaijani fuel might enter and affect the Armenian market.

Many countries and institutions avoid purchasing oil from Azerbaijan because doing so is widely viewed as supporting a regime accused of deep, systemic human-rights abuses. Human Rights Watch has documented politically motivated arrests, repression of independent journalists, and severe restrictions on NGOs, while climate advocates highlight Azerbaijan’s lack of transparency on emissions and its rising gas flaring despite environmental pledges. The European Parliament has warned that reliance on Azerbaijani oil and gas undermines democratic values and global climate goals.

This combination of political repression, ethical concerns, and environmental misconduct has pushed much of the international community to distance itself from Azerbaijani hydrocarbons — a reality that stands in sharp contrast to Armenia’s consideration of buying fuel from Baku, even as 23 Armenian prisoners remain held in Azerbaijan.

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