Bayramov and Mirzoyan Discuss Unblocking Transport Links

Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Armenia's Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan met in New York on September 24 on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly, focusing on steps to unblock economic and transport infrastructure between the two countries.

According to a statement from Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry, reported by Trend, the ministers emphasised the importance of peace and reviewed progress achieved since the agreements reached at the 2025 Washington Peace Summit.

Trade as proof of peace

The statement said the ministers "highlighted trade and transit interactions between Azerbaijan and Armenia as practical examples of the benefits of peace". They also exchanged views on advancing a positive agenda through multilateral platforms and agreed to continue direct dialogue.

The language is notable for its commercial framing. Rather than treating connectivity as a future aspiration, both sides now point to existing trade and transit flows as evidence the settlement is producing tangible results.

The corridor context

The meeting came as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), the planned transit link across southern Armenia connecting mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan and onward to Türkiye, moves from diplomacy toward delivery. Earlier this month Armenia's Constitutional Court cleared the framework, and the EU pledged €250 million for the Syunik region, through which the route passes.

Azerbaijani officials used the same UN week to promote TRIPP to US business audiences as a complement to, not a competitor with, the wider Middle Corridor linking China and Central Asia to Europe.

What investors should watch

• Infrastructure timelines: Azerbaijan's side of the regional rail network is well advanced; construction on Armenian territory has not started (see the update below).
• Trade data: any published figures on direct Azerbaijan-Armenia trade will be the first hard measure of how far normalisation has gone.
• Multilateral follow-through: the reference to "multilateral platforms" suggests possible joint appearances at regional forums, which would further lower perceived political risk for cross-border projects.

For logistics operators, insurers and lenders weighing South Caucasus transit exposure, continued ministerial contact is a necessary, if not sufficient, condition for projects to reach financial close.

Further Reading

• EU Commits EUR 250m to Syunik as Armenia's TRIPP Clears Constitutional Test
• EU Details 12 Billion Euro Middle Corridor Package to Triple Trade

Update, 14 October 2026: an earlier version said construction on Armenian territory was expected to begin between late 2026 and early 2027. Azerbaijan's foreign minister, Jeyhun Bayramov, said in September 2026 that physical work on TRIPP is now expected to begin in 2027 (Eurasianet via OilPrice.com, 13 September 2026).

Photo: Unsplash (illustrative)