Official: Armenia hopes to open borders with Azerbaijan, Türkiye by 2030

Armenia hopes to open its borders and transport links with Azerbaijan and Türkiye by 2030, a step it believes could help transform the South Caucasus into a key transit corridor between Europe and Central Asia, Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan said on June 23.

Kostanyan said Yerevan was continuing to work on regional transport projects and saw signs of greater openness from its neighbours, raising the possibility that communications could be restored before the end of the decade, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

"Our vision is that by 2030 we will have open communications and open borders with our two neighbours with whom, unfortunately, the borders remain closed — Türkiye and Azerbaijan," he said.

The deputy minister said Armenia and U.S. partners were completing legal preparations for the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) initiative, which he said could reshape transport connectivity across the South Caucasus. A feasibility study focused on the railway component of the project is also being prepared.

Kostanyan said Armenia was working with the European Union to upgrade transport infrastructure, including border crossings and roads, to support future transit traffic.

He added that disruptions to traditional trade routes and global supply chains had increased the strategic importance of the Middle Corridor linking Europe and Asia.

Kostanyan pointed to statements from Azerbaijan expressing readiness to open rail transport for Armenian cargo and recent signals from Türkiye regarding the possible transit of Armenian goods through Turkish territory.

Greater regional connectivity would boost trade and contribute to stability by deepening economic ties between countries in the South Caucasus, he said.

By Aghakazim Guliyev