BAKU, Dec. 18 (Xinhua) -- The first shipment of Azerbaijani petroleum products was dispatched to Armenia on Thursday, marking a significant milestone in regional trade normalization following recent diplomatic engagements between the two neighboring countries.
According to local media, a freight train loaded with 22 rail tank cars carrying approximately 1,220 tons of premium gasoline produced by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic departed from Baku. The cargo is expected to transit through Georgia before reaching its destination in Armenia.
The export is carried out under the peace agenda between Azerbaijan and Armenia, based on an agreement reached on Nov. 28 in the Azerbaijani town of Gabala between Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev and Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan.
Officials described the delivery as a commercial transaction conducted at market-based prices.
The shipment comes after Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev decided in October to remove restrictions on cargo transit to Armenia, which began in the early 1990s.
Georgia's Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development said earlier that it had approved a one-time fuel transit through the Georgian territory, with Georgian Railways instructed to carry out the transportation free of charge. ■
