Armenia-Türkiye Railway Opens, Marking Historic Shift in Regional Trade

(MENAFN) Türkiye's special envoy for the normalization process with Armenia has hailed the opening of the Akhalkalaki-Kars railway line to Armenian trade as a landmark step forward in bilateral relations between the two neighboring nations.

Serdar Kilic, Türkiye's special representative overseeing the normalization talks, made the remarks in a post on X, responding to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's earlier announcement that the rail corridor had been formally opened to Armenia's foreign trade flows.

Kilic framed the development as a concrete advance in direct commerce under the broader Türkiye-Armenia normalization framework.

"I hope this new step, which will also improve quadruple cooperation among Türkiye, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia and make a significant contribution to regional peace and stability, will be beneficial for all these countries," he said.

Prime Minister Pashinyan described the opening as a transformative moment for the Armenian economy, extending his gratitude to partners in Türkiye and Georgia for their cooperation in making it possible.

The Armenian leader outlined the sweeping connectivity gains the railway unlocks: Armenia now has rail access to Russia via Georgia and Azerbaijan, and an onward route to China through Russia and Kazakhstan. The corridor passing through Türkiye and Georgia, he said, would significantly strengthen Armenia's ties with the European Union. Additional rail links connecting Armenia with Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Iran are expected to follow in the near future.

MENAFN24052026000045017169ID1111161270