Armenia opens rail route to Turkey

Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has declared that a long-disused rail link via Georgia and Turkey can now be used for Armenia's foreign trade. The move is seen as an important milestone in the gradual normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey. Pashinyan announced on May 24 that the Akhalkalaki-Kars railroad line via Georgia and Turkey has been opened for Armenia's imports and exports. This could permanently change the trade routes between Europe and Asia. "I am pleased to announce that the Akhalkalaki-Kars railroad - as well as the Azerbaijani railroad - is now open for exports from Armenia and imports to Armenia. This is a significant event for the economy of our country," Pashinyan wrote on Platform X. New prospects for Armenian trade The opening of the route is seen as one of the clearest signs of the easing of decades of economic isolation between Armenia and Turkey. According to Pashinyan, Armenia now not only has rail links to Russia via Georgia and Azerbaijan, but also potentially a direct connection to European markets via Georgia and Turkey. The Prime Minister also announced further infrastructure projects. Plans include the restoration of the Gyumri-Akhurik-Akyaka railroad line to the Turkish border and the modernization of the Yeraskh railroad junction near the border with Azerbaijan. In the long term, new connections via Azerbaijan, its exclave Nakhichevan and to Iran are to be created. "In future, we will have a rail link from the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea - to the ports of Batumi, Poti and Anaklia. This will fundamentally change Armenia's economic situation," explained Pashinyan. Rapprochement between Armenia and Turkey Relations between Armenia and Turkey have been strained for decades. Ankara closed the common border in 1993 in solidarity with Azerbaijan during the first Nagorno-Karabakh war. In addition to the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, the different assessment of the events of 1915 also strained bilateral relations. Armenia speaks of a genocide against the Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, while Turkey rejects this term. At the end of 2021, both states appointed special envoys for normalization talks. Since then, direct air freight connections have been resumed and diplomatic contacts have been intensified. In September 2024, Pashinyan met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in New York. Both sides committed to normalizing relations without preconditions. Significance for the Middle Corridor The reopening of the rail link is part of the strategic plans for the so-called Middle Corridor - the trans-Caspian trade route that connects China and Central Asia with Europe via the South Caucasus and bypasses Russia. Until now, the lack of functioning rail connections between Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey has been one of the biggest bottlenecks on this route. The new connection could therefore significantly strengthen Armenia's importance as a transit country. The focus here is on the TRIPP (Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity) project supported by the USA, which aims to create a multimodal transport corridor through Armenia. This would connect the Azerbaijani heartland with Nakhichevan and Turkey and at the same time link Armenia more closely to international trade flows. Despite the economic opportunities, geopolitical risks remain. The planned corridor runs in close proximity to the Iranian border and could therefore be affected by regional tensions. The post Armenia opens rail route to Turkey appeared first on ostwirtschaft.de.