Armenia ready to allow Turkish truck transit to Azerbaijan, Pashinyan says

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has declared his government's readiness to authorize Turkish truck transit through Armenian territory to Azerbaijan, marking a significant potential breakthrough in regional transportation connectivity. During parliamentary budget discussions for 2026, Pashinyan characterized Azerbaijan's decision to lift transit restrictions as a historic development that could fundamentally transform regional economic dynamics.

Transportation Infrastructure Preparedness

Pashinyan confirmed that the Margara-Yeğegnadzor-Sisian-Goris transportation corridor stands nearly fully prepared to facilitate bidirectional freight transportation between Türkiye and Azerbaijan. The prime minister emphasized that Armenia had already renovated the Margara Border Crossing to handle Armenia-Türkiye border traffic and maintains another operational border crossing near Kornidzor settlement close to Goris, indicating comprehensive infrastructure readiness for expanded regional transit.

Reciprocal Transit Policy Shift

In response to Azerbaijan's removal of transit restrictions targeting Armenia, Pashinyan announced reciprocal measures: "As restrictions are lifted, we are also removing transit restrictions for Azerbaijan." The prime minister stressed that implementing these transportation openings requires intensive work on the US-mediated "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity" (TRIPP) Project, which represents a comprehensive regional initiative with multiple detailed components currently under negotiation.

Political Context and Peace Framework

Pashinyan framed the upcoming 2026 parliamentary elections as decisive for Armenia's peace trajectory, stating voters must "through elections defend peace, independence, and sovereignty." He asserted that peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan has become an established reality, warning that alternative political choices would return Armenia to conflict and "guard-post state" status, underscoring the high stakes of regional normalization efforts.