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Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan revealed on Tuesday that Azerbaijan’s recent decision on lifting the ban on cargo transit was unexpected for the Armenian government.
“Of course, I don’t know where that train from Kazakhstan has reached, but I do know that in the coming days it will arrive in Azerbaijan, then Georgia, and then Armenia. This means that the opening of regional communications is becoming a reality. I would again like to express words of appreciation to the President of Azerbaijan, who made that decision. That decision was not discussed in advance with Armenia at this scale. We knew there was understanding and agreement that one train would arrive, but our perception was about a single train. And the statement made in Kazakhstan was unexpected for us,” Pashinyan said at the Orbeli Forum 2025.
The Prime Minister emphasized that this is one of those instances when an unexpected but very positive statement comes from Azerbaijan, which indicates that there are significant opportunities for a shift in the balance.
Earlier in October, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev announced that his country had lifted all restrictions on the transit of goods to Armenia. The first shipment under the new arrangement was a consignment of Kazakh wheat, a move welcomed by PM Pashinyan. Armenia reciprocally lifted all restrictions in response.