Azerbaijan’s FM: Roads, railway to Armenia border to be completed by mid-2027

Azerbaijan expects major highway and railway projects linking the country’s main territory toward the Armenian border to be completed in the first half of 2027, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said on September 15.

Speaking at a press conference, Bayramov said construction of the highways was about 95% complete, while the railway project had reached approximately 75% completion, Caliber.Az reports.

“In the main part of Azerbaijan, the development of new transportation infrastructure is proceeding at a rapid pace,” Bayramov said, adding that both projects were expected to be finished in the first half of 2027.

Bayramov also discussed the proposed Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a transportation initiative covering a roughly 42-kilometre section through Armenia that is intended to facilitate connectivity between Azerbaijan and its exclave of Nakhchivan.

The project was among the key agreements reached at a summit in Washington last year, according to Bayramov. He said negotiations over the section located inside Armenia were being conducted directly between the United States and Armenia, while Azerbaijan was being kept informed of developments by its U.S. partners.

The minister stressed that the route would connect to Azerbaijan at both ends, saying the corridor could operate only through connections with Azerbaijani territory.

According to the latest information available to Baku, design work and efforts to establish the company responsible for the project are expected to be completed by the end of this year, while physical construction is scheduled to begin in early 2027.

“This is the most recent information,” Bayramov said.

He expressed confidence that the Armenian section could be built relatively quickly once construction begins, given that it spans just over 40 kilometres.

Bayramov said the resulting network could establish a direct transportation link between Azerbaijan’s main territory and Nakhchivan through Armenia, while also strengthening connections between Nakhchivan and Türkiye.

He said the broader infrastructure would create a new trade and transport route linking Europe with Central Asia through Türkiye and Azerbaijan, taking advantage of existing transportation networks in both countries.

“This will ensure both a direct connection between the main part of Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan via Armenia, and between Nakhchivan and Türkiye,” Bayramov said, adding that the route could ultimately extend “from Europe through Türkiye and Azerbaijan to Central Asia.”

By Sabina Mammadli