U.S. Welcomes Azerbaijan’s Fuel Transfer to Armenia

(MENAFN) The United States has praised Azerbaijan's delivery of fuel supplies to Armenia—the first such shipments in 30 years—as evidence of commitment to last year's landmark peace agreement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Azerbaijan Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov during a Monday telephone conversation.

Rubio applauded Baku's fuel transfers as a significant diplomatic gesture demonstrating Azerbaijan's dedication to the peace framework brokered by President Trump during an August 8, 2025 White House summit, according to a State Department readout.

"Secretary Rubio commended the Azerbaijani government's shipments of fuel to Armenia, an important gesture that demonstrates Azerbaijan's continued commitment to the historic peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan advanced by President Trump at the White House summit on August 8, 2025," the statement said.

The top diplomats also explored further trust-building initiatives aimed at fostering stability and economic growth across the South Caucasus region, while celebrating recent advances in Washington-Baku relations, the readout confirmed.

Bayramov subsequently posted on X that their exchange centered on bilateral cooperation, the potential framework for a "Strategic Partnership Charter," regional security matters, and the Azerbaijan-Armenia reconciliation process, including execution of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).

The infrastructure corridor will connect Azerbaijan's mainland territory with its Nakhchivan exclave via Armenian territory, based on the declaration signed at last August's trilateral summit featuring Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Trump.

Azerbaijan finalized its inaugural fuel delivery to Armenia in December—the first such transaction in three decades—marking progress as the South Caucasus rivals work toward rapprochement following prolonged hostilities.

A second shipment departed earlier this month from Guzdak railway station and Baku cargo station on January 8, comprising 1,000 tons of RON 92 gasoline, 1,000 tons of diesel fuel, and 1,800 tons of RON 95 gasoline, media outlets reported.

The regional neighbors formalized a joint declaration at the White House trilateral summit, committing to terminate decades of animosity through pledges to halt military operations, restore transportation links, and establish normalized diplomatic relations.

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