Grain shipments from Kazakhstan to Armenia have officially begun via Azerbaijan — a development hailed as a significant milestone for regional trade and cooperation.
According to Report, on November 5 a train carrying 15 wagons of wheat from Kazakhstan crossed the Russia–Azerbaijan border and continued its route through Azerbaijani territory.
The cargo, transported along the Yalama–Bilajari–Hajigabul–Boyuk Kesik railway line, is destined for Dalarik station in Armenia, following another 15-wagon shipment from Russia that arrived on November 4.
This marks the first large-scale overland grain delivery to Armenia through Azerbaijan in more than three decades.
President Ilham Aliyev, speaking in Kazakhstan on October 21, had earlier confirmed that restrictions on Armenian-bound cargo transit through Azerbaijan were lifted, clearing the way for renewed logistical cooperation across the South Caucasus.
The first Russian wheat convoy, loaded in Azerbaijan’s Boyuk Kesik station in Agstafa, is now traveling through Georgia before reaching Armenian territory.
Armenian Deputy Speaker Ruben Rubinyan described the development as “historic,” underscoring its symbolic and practical significance:
“Peace means when Russian wheat is transported to Armenia by rail through Azerbaijan. This is peace – without exaggeration, a historic event. The last time something like this happened was in 1991–1992,” he said.
Earlier, Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan also confirmed that the train carrying Russian grain “is already moving through Azerbaijani territory toward Georgia.”
Broader Implications
The reopening of this trade corridor highlights emerging regional pragmatism and the potential normalization of economic links long frozen by political divides. While full political reconciliation between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains distant, the successful transit of grain – a basic humanitarian commodity – signals a shift toward functional cooperation.
