2025 was a successful year for the reconciliation process between Azerbaijan and Armenia. On August 8, the leaders of both countries met at the White House in Washington and signed important documents. Expressing a commitment to peace, the two countries aim to end decades of conflict and move towards full normalization. This process will continue next year.
Baku outlined what to expect from the Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization process next year at the annual press conference held by Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov addressed the press on issues such as oil exports, the application of customs duties, border demarcation, and mutual visits between Azerbaijanis and Armenians.
Azerbaijan recently began exporting fuel by rail to Armenia via Georgia, the first such export in decades.
“We are currently creating something from scratch,” Bayramov told reporters. “Armenia’s appeal was related to petroleum products, and Azerbaijan accepted it.”
Speaking about the possibility of expanding economic ties, he added that when Azerbaijani oil entered Armenia, there was opposition from the Armenian side, but it was “slight”. Overall, Jeyhun Bayramov believes that trade between Azerbaijan and Armenia is possible in other regions as well.
Successfully started fuel trade
The first train loaded with fuel produced in Azerbaijan was delivered to Armenia across the Georgian border, which initially proved difficult, the minister explained. “The tariffs proposed by Georgia were very high. This proposal was not in line with existing practices, which caused doubts on the Azerbaijani side. However, as soon as the Georgian leadership learned of this issue, it intervened and the situation changed. The tariff issue has been resolved and tariffs according to market conditions have been agreed between companies.”
The Georgian side has officially confirmed that there will be no charge for the first trip, but future transfer fees have not yet been announced.
There are still unresolved issues on the ground, one of which is infrastructure development for TRIPP (Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity), an initiative that connects countries and regions.
Next is the rail connection
An agreement to establish a railway connection between the western region of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Nakhchivan was reached in 2020, but the process was interrupted due to the Second Karabakh War. Currently, Azerbaijan is building all the necessary infrastructure for this project.
In order to connect the railways, Armenia also needs to develop this infrastructure within its territory. To make this possible, Armenia is engaged in bilateral negotiations with the United States. These consultations focus on creating the legal framework, regulatory mechanisms and institutional arrangements necessary for the implementation of the project. Regarding the Azerbaijani side, Bayramov told reporters: “In 2026, the railway will reach the Armenian border.”
But it’s not just trade that is showing positive developments between the two countries. Over the past few months, several mutual visits at an expert level have taken place, and it is hoped that these contacts will expand further in the future.
Fruitful exchanges and resolution of border delimitation issues
“Experts and the International Center have already visited Armenia and Azerbaijan twice. As a result of these visits, certain progress has been made in the direction of cooperation and mutual understanding. We expect these processes to continue in 2026,” the Minister reported.
Meanwhile, as part of ensuring security and long-term peace, the border demarcation process continues, both in conferences and on the ground. Approximately 12 kilometers of the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia has already been demarcated. Significant progress has been made during this period and relevant regulations have been approved.
Both sides agreed that the delimitation process will be carried out from north to south, starting from the Azerbaijan-Armenia-Georgia trilateral border point and ending at the Azerbaijan-Armenia-Iran border. “The delimitation process will be done in parts. The issue of enclaves and enclaves will find a solution within the delimitation process,” the minister concluded.
