New route through Azerbaijan to strengthen sustainability of supplies  of Russian agricultural products to regoinal countries

ArmInfo.  Grain Gates has completed its first export shipment of Russian wheat to the Republic of Armenia via a new railway route through the Republic of  Azerbaijan.  This was reported by RIA Novosti, citing the company's  press service.

According to the source, the first train in over 30 years arrived  from Russia via Azerbaijan and Georgia to Armenia, carrying 1,050  tons of wheat. "The first shipment included 1,050 tons of Class 3  wheat, transported in 15 grain railcars operated by the railway  operator Rusagrotrans," the company reported.

The train of 15 grain railcars traveled through Azerbaijan and  Georgia and crossed the border into Armenia for onward delivery to  the Dalarik station of the South Caucasus Railway. The wheat was  shipped from the Ulyanovsk region. According to ArmInfo, the  recipient is a company owned by prominent Armenian businessman Samvel  Aleksanyan.

"Thus, Grain Gates became the first Russian company to resume rail  exports of agricultural products to Armenia via Azerbaijan. "There  has been no transportation along this route for over 30 years," the  company noted. Before the resumption of rail service, deliveries were  primarily made by road through the land border crossing and by sea  through Georgian ports. Currently, Armenia imports approximately  450,000- 500,000 tons of grain (wheat, barley, and corn) annually,  almost all of which comes from Russia.  Developing this route opens  up additional opportunities for increasing export volumes to the  South Caucasus countries, Grain Gates noted.

"We view this route as an important element in diversifying export  logistics." "Its use allows us to strengthen the stability of Russian  agricultural product supplies to countries in the region," said Ilya  Aliyev, CEO of Grain Gates, as quoted by the company's press service.

Earlier, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, during a visit to  Kazakhstan, stated that Baku was ready to allow Kazakh cargo,  particularly grain, to enter Armenia. Then, in late October, Russian  Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk announced that Azerbaijan had  expressed its readiness to allow Russian products to enter Armenia.