Azerbaijan has begun exporting oil products to Armenia, with the first shipment delivered on 18 December 2025. It marked a notable milestone in the peace process and efforts to deepen economic cooperation between the two long-time rivals.
The fuel export is one in a series of trust-building steps aimed at restoring regional connectivity.
It was agreed during talks on 28 November in Gabala, northern Azerbaijan, where Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev met his Armenian counterpart Mher Grigoryan.
Speaking to AnewZ, Murad Muradov, Deputy Director at the Topchubashov Centre, described the shipment as an important confidence-building measure, stressing that symbolism and substance should not be viewed separately.
“I think it’s a very important step in terms of confidence building, first of all,” Muradov said, noting that energy cooperation had been discussed as a peace-building tool as far back as the 1990s.
“Economic cooperation can always be an important bridge towards peace.”
He added that the distinction between symbolic gestures and practical measures is not clear-cut.
“I don’t see why these relatively low-risk steps cannot serve as real confidence-building measures, leaving a long-lasting impact,” he said.
Muradov underlined the symbolic importance of selling Azerbaijani-produced fuel directly to Armenia, particularly after recent grain transit through Azerbaijan.
“Selling fuel, which is produced in Azerbaijan, is an even more significant and symbolic step,” he said, expressing hope that it would “help to cement the positive momentum that we have been enjoying since the Washington memorandum in August.”
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a memorandum in Washington on 8 August in the presence of President Donald Trump, marking a key step in efforts to advance the peace process between the two countries.
He said that since the Washington agreement, both governments have sought to translate diplomatic dialogue into tangible outcomes.
“The reality is that after the Washington agreement, we have a certain momentum between the governments, which they have been trying hard to transform into more lasting and sustainable achievements on the ground,” Muradov noted.
While the arrangement carries limited political or economic risk and does not bind Azerbaijan to long-term commitments, Muradov argued its broader impact lies in how it is perceived by the public.
“It creates a new reality where the Armenian society can hear the news that, yes, Azerbaijani petrol has been obtained by Armenia, and probably their personal car is using this petrol,” he said.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s public acknowledgement of the shipment also sends a positive political signal, Muradov added, despite domestic and international criticism.
“The fact that Prime Minister Pashinyan openly recognised it is also a big signal that we have this momentum,” he said, suggesting Yerevan appears prepared to defend the process.
Muradov concluded that while the energy trade does not amount to a binding agreement, its everyday visibility could help reinforce public acceptance of peace.
“I think it is important in terms of promoting the impression of the inevitability of the peace process, which is crucial if it is to be truly long-term and sustainable.”
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is set to attend Supreme Court oral arguments this week in a case examining whether President Donald Trump has the...
At the World Economic Forum’s “Defining Eurasia’s Economic Identity” panel on 20 January 2026, leaders from Azerbaijan, Armenia and Serbia dis...
The European Parliament has frozen the ratification of a trade agreement with the United States after fresh tariff threats from Donald Trump, escalati...
On 20 January, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev gave an exclusive interview to Euronews during the World Economic Forum 2026 in Da...
One year into his return to the White House, President Donald Trump has used tariffs, military operations and immigration crackdowns to drive an expan...
Russia’s liquefied natural gas transit through Azerbaijan is emerging as a strategically significant development for Armenia at a time of rising domestic pressure on energy supplies, according to political analyst Fuad Karimli.Speaking to AnewZ, Karimli said the issue has gained urgency as Armenia f
At the World Economic Forum’s “Defining Eurasia’s Economic Identity” panel on 20 January 2026, leaders from Azerbaijan, Armenia and Serbia discussed how the South Caucasus and wider Eurasian region can strengthen economic ties, peace and geopolitical stability amid shifting global influence.
On 20 January, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev gave an exclusive interview to Euronews during the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos, reflecting on Azerbaijan’s strategy in a changing global order and the country’s evolving role in the South Caucasus and global energy markets.
Azerbaijan is commemorating the 36th anniversary of the events of 20 January 1990, known as Black January, one of the most defining and painful chapters in the country’s modern history.
Italian fashion designer Valentino Garavani has died at the age of 93, his foundation said on Monday.
More than 100 vehicles were involved in a massive pileup on Interstate 96 in western Michigan on Monday (19 January), forcing the highway to shut in both directions amid severe winter weather.
The European Parliament has frozen the ratification of a trade agreement with the United States after fresh tariff threats from Donald Trump, escalating tensions between Washington and Brussels.
Five skiers were killed in a pair of avalanches in Austria’s western Alpine regions on Saturday, with two others injured, one critically.
A fresh consignment of precision-guided munitions has departed from the Indian city of Nagpur bound for Yerevan, marking the latest phase in the rapidly expanding defence partnership between India and Armenia.
At the World Economic Forum’s “Defining Eurasia’s Economic Identity” panel on 20 January 2026, leaders from Azerbaijan, Armenia and Serbia discussed how the South Caucasus and wider Eurasian region can strengthen economic ties, peace and geopolitical stability amid shifting global influence.
On 20 January, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev gave an exclusive interview to Euronews during the World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos, reflecting on Azerbaijan’s strategy in a changing global order and the country’s evolving role in the South Caucasus and global energy markets.
Afghanistan is confronting an escalating humanitarian emergency as freezing winter conditions, widespread food insecurity and sharp reductions in international aid leave millions struggling to survive, aid agencies have warned.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reiterated his country’s support for a ceasefire deal between Damascus and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which calls for the latter’s integration into the Syrian state apparatus.
Several locally-developed instant messaging applications were reportedly restored in Iran on Tuesday (20 January), partially easing communications restrictions imposed after recent unrest.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment