Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR sent the first batch of locally produced crude oil to Armenia today, December 18.
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According to Azerbaijani media, 1,220 tonnes of AI-95 motor fuel, loaded into 22 tank wagons, was sent by an Azerbaijan Railways freight train from Baku station to Bioyuki-Kasiki station. From there, the cargo will reach Armenia through Georgia.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan welcomed the start of deliveries of petroleum products.
“Trade is carried out between private companies, but, of course, the peace established between Armenia and Azerbaijan has created political conditions for this trade."
I know that there are some questions regarding the cost of Georgian Railways [services]. I hope that this issue will be resolved, or if not, businessmen will find alternative ways to ensure import and export,” Pashinyan said.
In early December, pro-government Azerbaijani media reported that the Georgian Dream government had demanded a high tariff for transporting oil products through Georgian territory - $92 per tonne for a 111-kilometre section. Minval Politika wrote that Georgia was practically resisting the establishment of a sustainable regional peace architecture and mutually beneficial economic ties.
In response, the Georgian Dream government announced that it would transport fuel from Azerbaijan to Armenia free of charge. According to Irakli Kobakhidze, the final form in which Azerbaijani oil and oil products will transit through Georgian territory to Armenia is under negotiation.
