Economy Minister hopes Armenia will henceforth import wheat exclusively via rail

Armenia’s Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan expressed hope that the country will henceforth import wheat only by rail, whether from Kazakhstan or Russia.

“Two important measures are being implemented in this regard. I hope that from now on, Armenia will import wheat exclusively via rail, which is economically very efficient—both from Kazakhstan and Russia. The cost of Kazakh and Russian wheat is significantly lower when transported to Armenia by rail,” Papoyan said at a joint committee meeting in parliament discussing the 2026 state budget bill. He was asked to comment on the Kazakh wheat import expected via Azerbaijan.

The minister also noted that relevant announcements and measures will be made in the coming days.

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. The cargo is expected to reach Armenia via Azerbaijan–Georgia–Armenia railway route. In response to the lifting of the restrictions, Armenia reciprocally removed restrictions as well.