Armenian PM confident Türkiye-Azerbaijan railway to be repaired within 2-3 years

A positive dialogue with Türkiye raises hopes that the border could be opened in the near future, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said.

He made the statement while speaking at the 5th “Silk Road” Forum in Tbilisi, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

“Politically, we are ready to ensure railway connections between Türkiye and Nakhchivan, and between Türkiye and Azerbaijan, but the railway needs repair and restoration. I am confident that these technical issues will be resolved within 2–3 years,” Pashinyan said.

Türkiye has initiated the construction of a 224-kilometre railway line intended to connect Kars, a city in northeastern Türkiye, to Nakhchivan, an Azerbaijani exclave bordered by Armenia, Iran, and Türkiye. The railway, known as the Kars–Igdır–Aralık–Dilucu line, will extend from Kars through Igdır and Aralık to the Dilucu border gate, facilitating direct rail access between Türkiye and Nakhchivan.  

This railway is a pivotal component of the Zangezur Corridor, a U.S.-brokered project designed to link Azerbaijan's mainland to Nakhchivan via Armenia. The corridor aims to enhance regional connectivity and is part of broader efforts to integrate the South Caucasus into international trade networks.

By Khagan Isayev