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(Bloomberg) — Azerbaijan has dispatched its first fuel cargo to Armenia since the collapse of the Soviet Union, testing the reopening of trade links between the two South Caucasus rivals after decades of conflict.
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Twenty-two rail wagons of AI-95 gasoline produced by state oil company SOCAR were sent to Armenia on Thursday, Azerbaijan’s APA news agency reported.
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The delivery follows an agreement reached on Nov. 28 during talks in Gabala, Azerbaijan, between Azeri Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev and Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan.
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The shipment is the latest step to revive trade between the two neighbors, which fought for decades over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. After the initialing of a draft peace agreement, Azerbaijan facilitated the transit of Russian and Kazakh grain to Armenia via Georgian territory. Armenian authorities have said another batch of Kazakh wheat is currently en route to Yerevan through Azerbaijan.
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The fuel shipment is also transiting Georgia, where authorities approved a one-time rail transfer and waived transportation fees, which Tbilisi described as a goodwill gesture to support regional cooperation.
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Grigoryan previously confirmed that the two sides discussed exports of oil and oil products during the meeting, though he said specific volumes, buyers and pricing terms would be determined by private companies. “The next steps related to fuel are in the domain of cooperation between private exporters and importers, and any potential deals will be on market terms,” he said earlier this month.
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Armenia remains heavily dependent on Russian natural gas and oil, making diversification of energy supplies one of the most sensitive challenges as Yerevan seeks to reduce economic reliance on Moscow. Whether Azerbaijani fuel can compete with Russian imports will depend on commercial negotiations, Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan has said, declining to name Armenian companies currently in talks with SOCAR.
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Azerbaijan’s presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev said earlier this month that fuel exports were among several trade issues being discussed alongside border delimitation negotiations.
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Armenia and Azerbaijan concluded the draft peace accord in August during talks in Washington with US President Donald Trump. Reopening transportation routes was among the agreement’s key provisions, potentially expanding trade across the South Caucasus and strengthening links between Turkey, Europe, Central Asia and even China.
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