Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan said Armenia is moving into the practical stage of becoming a regional transport hub, with unblocking set to transform the economy.
According to Armenpress, Papoyan stressed that the unblocking of communications in the South Caucasus will “open Armenia’s economic lungs.” He noted that in the coming weeks, Yerevan will host several delegations, including U.S. representatives and Turkish envoy Serdar Kılıç, involved in normalization talks.
“We are in the practical stage. Armenia’s transformation into a transport hub is already underway. Residents of Meghri and Kapan see every day how mountains are being cut through for the construction of the new North-South highway,” Papoyan said.
He added that U.S. experts are expected to arrive soon to conduct on-site studies and assessments. “This will bring us into the practical phase, after which Armenia will become a global transport hub,” he emphasized.
Papoyan highlighted that Armenia, a landlocked country with 75% of its land borders closed, has nevertheless managed significant economic growth. He argued that unblocking would lower the cost of many imported goods, which are currently expensive due to logistics problems.
At the Washington summit, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and U.S. President Donald Trump officially agreed to launch the Trump Route. Trump said the corridor will allow Azerbaijan access to Nakhichevan while fully respecting Armenia’s sovereignty, and that Armenia will build an exclusive partnership with the U.S. to develop it. He noted the agreement could be extended for 99 years, with major infrastructure investments expected and U.S. companies eager to enter the region.
