Armenia welcomes Turkish president’s remarks on advancing normalization

ISTANBUL

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has welcomed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s remarks on advancing the normalization process between Ankara and Yerevan, state media reported on Thursday.

“Within the framework of our bilateral dialogue, the time has come for symbolic—and even non-symbolic, broader, and more concrete—steps to take place, and I hope that they will happen,” Pashinyan said during a press briefing, according to state news agency Armenpress.

The statement comes as Erdogan said earlier this month that Türkiye will take “some symbolic steps” starting early 2026 as part of ongoing normalization processes with Armenia.

“Azerbaijan and Armenia are closer than ever to signing a peace agreement. Parallel to this process, and in dialogue with Azerbaijan, we are also advancing our normalization processes with Armenia. God willing, we will take some symbolic steps starting early next year,” he said on Dec. 16.

Commenting on the ongoing peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Pashinyan said Yerevan welcomed Baku's lifting of restrictions on the transit of goods to his country and that it would be strange for them not to express their views on these developments.

He hoped that steps would soon be taken to promote bilateral trade, including exports from Armenia to Azerbaijan.

“Armenia and the United States are preparing a document outlining the strategic framework of the TRIPP (Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity) project, which both sides will need to approve in some format, after which the next step will begin,” he said.

The Armenian premier stated that they expect to see "on-the-ground" work on the TRIPP project in the second half of 2026, with the first work likely being the construction of a railway.

"The process is fluid, and it may become clear that, due to specific circumstances, the need for a gas or oil pipeline is more urgent. At this point, however, we believe that the railway is the priority," he added.

At a trilateral summit at the White House in August, the two South Caucasus neighbors, along with US President Donald Trump, signed a declaration to end decades of conflict, pledging to halt hostilities, reopen transportation routes, and normalize relations.