Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has declared that Azerbaijan has lifted all restrictions on the transit of goods into Armenia, APA reports. Speaking at a joint press briefing with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Aliyev said: “I must add that Azerbaijan has removed all restrictions on cargo transiting to Armenia that were in place since the occupation. The first such shipment was grain sent from Kazakhstan to Armenia. I believe this is yet another example that peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia now exists not only on paper, but also in practice.”
Aliyev further stated that the proposed Zangezur Corridor could be opened by the end of 2028.
“In addition to our current planning and implementation, the Zangezur Corridor project has huge potential. All road and rail infrastructure works within Azerbaijan will be completed by mid-2026. We hope the same pace will be maintained in the territories of other countries, in which case the corridor could be operational by late 2028,” he said.
In a related development, it was earlier announced that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and U.S. President Donald Trump had reached a formal agreement in Washington on launching the “Trump Route.”
“The route will allow Azerbaijan to reach Nakhichevan while fully respecting Armenia’s sovereignty. Armenia is also entering into a unique partnership with the U.S. to develop this corridor. The agreement may be extended for up to 99 years and renewed for another 99 after that. We expect major infrastructure development, and American companies are eager to enter the region and invest heavily, which will bring economic benefits to all three nations,” Trump stated.
On September 11, Prime Minister Pashinyan clarified that Armenia had not leased land to the U.S. for 99 years, but rather granted construction rights.
