While the Azerbaijani government has yet to comment on reports of the shipment, Armenian officials, including Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan, have confirmed that the shipment was taking place.
In a historic first, Azerbaijan has sent a shipment of petrol to Armenia through Georgia.
Azerbaijani media outlet APA reported that 22 railcars loaded with the SOCAR-produced AI-95 petrol were being sent to Armenia on Thursday.
While the Azerbaijani government has yet to comment on reports of the shipment, Armenian officials, including Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan, have confirmed that the shipment was taking place.
Pashinyan welcomed the news during his Thursday press briefing. (https://armenpress.am )
“The trade is taking place between private companies, but of course, it is the peace established between Armenia and Azerbaijan that has created the political conditions for this trade”, Pashinyan said, adding that there were agreements on “political level” regarding the issue as well.
Pashinyan also confirmed that there were issues related to Georgian tariffs and expressed hope that they would be resolved. Otherwise he suggested if the transfer continues, “logically, businesses will seek alternative ways to ensure imports and exports”.
Separately, Papoyan told RFE/RL that the shipment contained around 1,300 tonnes of petrol and is expected to arrive in Armenia “in the coming days”. (https://www.azatutyun.am )
Papoyan has refrained from naming the company importing the petrol into Armenia.
At the same time, the minister said that the Armenian and Azerbaijani companies negotiated the details of the deal and that the imported fuel has high-quality specifications.
“Let’s note that instead of war, we are trading. War [brings] losses, trade [brings] prosperity”, Papoyan told RFE/RL.
Source: https://oc-media.org