Georgia approves Azerbaijani fuel shipment to Armenia
Georgia has confirmed that it has authorized the transit of an Azerbaijani fuel shipment to Armenia by rail, saying the first delivery will be carried out free of charge, News.Az reports, citing Georgian media.
The country’s Ministry of Economy said Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze ordered Georgian Railways to transport the shipment without payment after receiving a formal request from “partner countries.”
“On 5 December, the government of Georgia received a request from partner countries for a one-time transit of fuel from Azerbaijan to Armenia through Georgian territory. By the decision of Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Georgian Railways was immediately instructed to transport this cargo once and completely free of charge,” the ministry said.
Officials stressed that Georgia “has been and remains a strategic, reliable partner to both Armenia and Azerbaijan and has always supported peace and cooperation in the region.”
The announcement followed reports in Azerbaijani media claiming Georgia had imposed high transit tariffs and was delaying Azerbaijani cargo at the border. Minval Politika reported that Tbilisi had introduced a $92-per-ton tariff for a 111-kilometer stretch — 40 times the Azerbaijani rate — and interpreted this as a shift in Georgia’s political stance.
The ministry rejected those claims, saying no blockages or restrictions on Azerbaijani freight had taken place.
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