Pashinyan & Aliyev Discuss Trade and Trump Route in Dublin as Peace Treaty Remains Unsigned

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met in Dublin on November 12 for talks on regional trade, transport links and efforts to finalize a peace agreement that remains unsigned more than a year after the two countries reached a breakthrough in Washington.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the ninth European Political Community Summit in Ireland. Both governments issued similar statements, describing discussions on the next steps in the peace process and opportunities for economic cooperation.

A major focus was the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a U.S.-backed transport project intended to connect Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave through southern Armenia.

The leaders discussed plans for the route's railway and highway infrastructure, including design work and the movement of goods along the proposed corridor.

They also reviewed the resumption of cargo shipments to Armenia through Azerbaijani territory. According to the Armenian government, 105,000 metric tons of goods have reached Armenia through Azerbaijan since November 2025.

The shipments represent a significant development for two countries whose borders and transport connections have been largely closed for decades because of their conflict over Artsakh.

Pashinyan and Aliyev also discussed expanding trade, connecting their national electricity grids and continuing work on delimiting their shared border.

Environmental cooperation was another topic. The leaders welcomed the creation of joint working groups to manage rivers that cross the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, an area where cooperation could help address shared water management challenges.

Both sides agreed to continue talks and maintain progress toward a lasting settlement, according to the official statements.

Senior officials from the two countries also held discussions in Dublin. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan briefly spoke with his Azerbaijani counterpart, Jeyhun Bayramov, according to Armenia's Foreign Ministry. Contacts also took place between other senior representatives, including Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev.

The Dublin meeting follows talks between Pashinyan and Aliyev in Bishkek, where they reaffirmed the importance of the Washington agreements reached on August 8, 2025.

At that summit, hosted by the United States, Armenia and Azerbaijan initialed the text of a peace treaty and signed a joint declaration outlining steps toward normalization.

The agreement, however, has not been formally signed.

Azerbaijan continues to demand changes to Armenia's Constitution, arguing that its references to the 1990 Declaration of Independence amount to territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Yerevan has rejected the suggestion that its Constitution prevents a peace agreement, while the Armenian government has separately pursued plans for constitutional reform.

The issue remains one of the main obstacles to formally ending decades of hostility between the neighbors.

The latest talks also come six months after Armenia hosted the previous European Political Community Summit in Yerevan. Aliyev did not attend that meeting in person, instead addressing participants by video.

Despite the unresolved dispute over the peace treaty, the Dublin discussions show that both governments are moving ahead with negotiations on transportation, energy and trade, even as the final political settlement remains out of reach.

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