In his speech at the 8th Summit of the European Political Community, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev declared that peace is the fundamental factor for economic integration and the expansion of transit opportunities in the region. Addressing the event held in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, via video link, the Head of State emphasized that peace has been established between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Recalling the Joint Declaration signed at the White House with the participation of the U.S. President, he highlighted that the two countries have already lived in peace for nine months.

Commenting on the topic, Agil Asadov, Head of Division at the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC), stated that Azerbaijan has always been a proponent of peace, and the unilateral removal of transit restrictions that lasted for over 30 years is a clear example of this. As President Ilham Aliyev emphasized at the summit: “So far, 28,000 tons of cargo have been delivered to Armenia through the territory of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan even took additional steps. For the first time, we began supplying our petroleum products—gasoline and diesel—to Armenia. Thus, trade relations have commenced. To date, 12,000 tons of our oil products have been exported to Armenia.” These facts indicate the formation of mutual relations between the countries, with Azerbaijan acting as the locomotive of this process. This trend is clearly visible in the dynamics of the nine months of ongoing peace.

The first transit cargo, Kazakh grain, was sent to Armenia through Azerbaijani territory, which can be evaluated as a tangible result of the peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The removal of restrictions on the transit of goods to Armenia proves once again that the Joint Declaration signed on August 8, 2025, in Washington by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and U.S. President Donald Trump is of great political-strategic and socio-economic importance—sending the nearly 30-year conflict in the South Caucasus to the archives of history and guaranteeing its non-recurrence.

According to Agil Asadov, Azerbaijan is a secular state that respects international law and prefers cooperation over competition, bringing peace to its geography. The transit of goods to Armenia via Azerbaijan, including essential commodities for society and industry such as grain and fuel, serves as a real example of our state’s peaceful nature and our people’s respect for sacred values. The fact that the first transit cargo was grain carries symbolic meaning, calling the opposing side to peace and friendship.

The CAERC division head believes that favorable transport-transit capabilities are a key trend in modern economic progress. Countries with easy access to international markets and extensive transit opportunities develop more rapidly and gain an advantage on the international stage. In this sense, peace is even more necessary for Armenia to access global space and participate in international transport-communication projects. As President Ilham Aliyev noted at the 8th Summit: “Another achievement in the field of peace is connectivity. 'Trump’s Route for International Peace and Prosperity' (TRIPP) will connect Azerbaijan with its exclave, Nakhchivan, and at the same time, it will become part of the Middle Corridor. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan are already seeing the tangible results of peace.” TRIPP envisages the creation of unimpeded, multi-modal transit connectivity through Armenian territory and aims to contribute to regional peace, stability, and integration based on the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the jurisdiction of states. Through TRIPP, Armenia’s role as a regional transit and economic hub can be strengthened, attracting foreign investment into its infrastructure and enhancing institutional capacity in border management and trade facilitation.

Agil Asadov added that according to recent statistics, on April 30, 2026, 279 tons of grain (4 wagons) and 203 tons of fertilizer (3 wagons) arriving from Russia, and on May 4, 2026, an additional 10 wagons of fertilizer from Russia were sent to Armenia through Azerbaijan. Furthermore, on April 14, 2026, 22 wagons of diesel fuel were exported from our country to Armenia. In total, by April, 6,312 tons of diesel fuel, 979 tons of AI-92 gasoline, and 2,955 tons of AI-95 gasoline were exported from Azerbaijan to Armenia. All these steps serve to strengthen trust in the region, develop mutual ties, and expand economic and transport-logistics cooperation as a testament to Azerbaijan's commitment to peace.