Armenian premier says he hopes border with Türkiye will open soon

ISTANBUL

Armenia’s prime minister on Wednesday voiced optimism that the ongoing positive dialogue between Armenia and Türkiye could soon lead to the opening of their shared border.

Yerevan is “ready, not only politically but also technically” to enable the transit of freight trucks between Türkiye and Azerbaijan through Armenian territory, Nikol Pashinyan told the 2025 Tbilisi Silk Road Forum in Georgia.

“The positive dialogue between Armenia and Türkiye gives hope that the parties may open the borders in the near future,” he added.

“We are ready, starting today, to ensure the transit of freight trucks through Armenian territory from Türkiye to Azerbaijan and from Azerbaijan to Türkiye."

He added that Armenia is also politically prepared to allow transit between Azerbaijan’s exclave of Nakhchivan and the main part of Azerbaijan, though “technical readiness is not yet achieved due to the lack of infrastructure.”

“We are also politically prepared to enable railway transit between Türkiye and Nakhchivan, as well as between Türkiye and the main part of Azerbaijan, but these railway sections require renovation or reconstruction,” he said, expressing confidence that such technical issues “will be resolved within the next two to three years.”

Pashinyan also announced plans for the construction of pipelines and power transmission lines through Armenian territory connecting Azerbaijan, Nakhchivan, and Türkiye, alongside new road and rail links.

“All of this is under discussion within the framework of the TRIPP project, and we are also holding relevant talks with Türkiye and Azerbaijan,” he said.

The Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), also known as the Zangezur corridor, is a US-brokered connectivity initiative launched under the Armenian-Azerbaijani joint declaration signed this August in Washington, D.C.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called the planned route a “geo-economic revolution."