On December 18, a train carrying 22 tank cars loaded with AI-95 gasoline was dispatched from Azerbaijan to Armenia by rail, transiting through Georgian territory.
According to Euronews, this marks the first fuel export of this kind from Azerbaijan to Armenia in decades and is viewed as a concrete step toward the normalization of relations between the two countries.
The shipment consists of 1,210 tons of gasoline produced by SOCAR and will reach Armenia via Georgia. The agreement on fuel exports was reached on November 28 in Gabala during a meeting between the deputy prime ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Currently, more than 60 percent of Armenia’s fuel imports come from Russia, with the remainder supplied by Iran, Romania, Malta, and Turkey.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze instructed relevant authorities not to charge a transit fee for this first fuel shipment transiting Georgia from Azerbaijan to Armenia. However, it remains unclear under what conditions future transit will continue, as Baku has expressed dissatisfaction with what it considers excessively high transit fees imposed by Georgia and has raised the possibility of using alternative routes.
In recent days, Azerbaijani pro-government media have accused the Georgian authorities of pursuing policies that undermine peace efforts. According to these reports, Azerbaijan is frustrated with Tbilisi over the high cost of transiting Azerbaijani fuel to Armenia. The publications also claim that Georgia is obstructing peace-building efforts between neighboring countries.