First Cargo Train in Decades Reaches Armenia Through Azerbaijan

Armenia has received its first cargo shipment in more than three decades that passed through Azerbaijani territory — a major change in regional transport routes since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

According to the office of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, a train carrying over 1,000 tons of Russian wheat reached northern Armenia on November 5. The shipment traveled through Azerbaijan and Georgia before entering Armenian territory.

Officials confirmed that another cargo of wheat from Kazakhstan is expected soon, also passing through Azerbaijan. These deliveries come after Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced that Baku would lift its long-standing ban on the transit of goods to Armenia.

Pashinyan’s office described the move as significant, saying it helps “strengthen mutual trust and promote the peace agenda.” It added that “the lifting of restrictions on cargo transportation to Armenia is an important step by Azerbaijan toward restoring regional communications and promoting economic cooperation.” The statement also linked the development to “the practical implementation of the agreements reached in Washington,” referring to the trilateral summit held in August.

The August 8 summit in Washington resulted in an initial Armenian-Azerbaijani peace agreement, with U.S. President Donald Trump, President Aliyev, and Prime Minister Pashinyan signing a joint declaration. The declaration committed both countries to create “unimpeded connectivity” between mainland Azerbaijan and its Nakhijevan exclave through Armenian territory, while ensuring reciprocal trade and transport benefits for Armenia. The United States is expected to oversee this new corridor, known as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).

During his visit to Kazakhstan last month, Aliyev stated that the decision to reopen transit “proves that peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia is no longer on paper but in practice.”

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksei Overchuk recently confirmed that Moscow and Baku had discussed the matter and that Azerbaijan reaffirmed its readiness to allow Russian goods to move through its territory. He said Russian Railways was coordinating with regional partners to organize and maintain the shipments.

This is the first time since the late 1980s that Armenia and Azerbaijan have allowed transit through each other’s territories. The two neighbors severed such routes after the start of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which led to two wars and decades of closed borders and mutual distrust.

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