ArmInfo. Russia has made the first grain shipment to Armenia via a new railway route through Azerbaijan, the Russian Ministry of Agriculture told RIA Novosti.
"A train carrying the first batch of Russian grain delivered via the new railway route through Azerbaijan has arrived in Armenia," the statement read.
The ministry clarified that 1,000 tons of third-class wheat from the Ulyanovsk region, shipped by the company Grain Gates, was transported.
The shipment was made in cooperation with Russian Railways. The Ministry of Agriculture notes that the development of this route opens up additional opportunities for increasing export volumes to the countries of the South Caucasus.
The ministry explained that previously, Russian exports to Armenia were primarily carried out by road through the land border crossing and by sea through Georgian ports. "Armenia imports approximately 450,000-500,000 tons of grain per year. Almost 100% of this volume comes from Russia. The new route provides transit through Azerbaijan and Georgia, which reduces transportation costs and improves supply stability," the statement added.
The ministry noted that rail shipments were resumed following Azerbaijan's decision to lift restrictions on freight traffic to Armenia. Such agreements were reached in October of this year with the participation of the governments of Russia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. "This opened the possibility of direct shipments of Russian agricultural products to Armenia by rail for the first time since the early 1990s," the ministry stated.
In turn, the Russian Ministry of Transport reported that Russia plans to send an additional 132 wagons of wheat to Armenia via the new rail route through Azerbaijan by the end of January 2026. "The first batch of grain was sent to Armenia via Azerbaijan by rail. Russian Railways organized the shipment of over 1,000 tons of wheat from Dimitrovgrad station in the Ulyanovsk region to Armenia. An additional 132 railcars of wheat are planned to be sent along this route by the end of January 2026. Shipments of other cargo categories are also being considered," the statement reads.
