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Akbar Novruz

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Armenia is considering the possibility of importing gas through Azerbaijan as it faces growing difficulties with its traditional supply routes, Azernews reports via Sputnik-Armenia.

According to the report, Yerevan has acknowledged serious logistical challenges linked to supply corridors passing through Iran and Georgia. Internal instability in Iran has disrupted transport and customs operations, while adverse weather conditions have repeatedly forced the closure of the Military-Georgian Highway, a critical route linking Armenia to external markets.

Against this backdrop, Armenian authorities are exploring alternative transit options, including a railway line that passes through the territory of Azerbaijan. After previously launching grain and oil product shipments via this route, Armenia is now also examining the feasibility of importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) through Azerbaijan.

The Armenian Ministry of Economy confirmed that the route through Azerbaijan is being considered as an alternative to existing supply channels via the Upper Lars border crossing on the Georgian-Russian border and Iran.

Armenian experts cited by Sputnik-Armenia argue that economic relations in the South Caucasus should be grounded in cooperation rather than isolation. They note that Armenia’s key priority is the restoration and development of its industrial base, along with deeper integration into the region’s broader economic and production framework. Without this, they warn, Armenia’s economy could become increasingly vulnerable to external shocks and global crises.

Within the framework of the peace agenda, Armenia has already begun using Azerbaijan as a transit route. Since November last year, wheat from Russia and Kazakhstan has been transported to Armenia via Azerbaijani territory, and in December, exports of oil products from Azerbaijan to Armenia were launched.

Background on Azerbaijan–Armenia rapprochement:
Relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia have shifted dramatically from decades of conflict to active cooperation and peacebuilding. After nearly four decades of hostilities, including wars over the Karabakh region, both countries agreed on the text of a peace treaty draft in March 2025, a key step toward ending the conflict, though some legal and constitutional issues remain before final signing.

In August 2025, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan initialled a peace agreement and joint declaration in Washington under US auspices, a milestone widely welcomed by international partners. This was reinforced by the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity”, a planned transit corridor linking Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave via Armenia, aimed at bolstering connectivity and economic ties.

Concrete signs of improving ties include lifting restrictions on cargo transit to Armenia, allowing shipments like Kazakh grain to travel through Azerbaijan to Armenia for the first time since the Soviet era.

These developments have helped create new economic opportunities between Baku and Yerevan, with fuel exports and renewed trade flows reflecting a broader shift from conflict toward cooperation in the South Caucasus.