Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, addressing the Tbilisi Silk Road Forum in the Georgian capital today, welcomed Baku’s lifting of restrictions on cargo transit to Armenia.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, during his state visit to Kazakhstan yesterday, announced a pending shipment of Kazakh grain via Azerbaijan to Armenia. It will be the first such consignment since transit was halted in the final years of the Soviet Union.

“Azerbaijan has lifted all restrictions on the transit of goods to Armenia that had existed since the time of occupation. The first such transit cargo is a shipment of Kazakh grain bound for Armenia. I believe this shows that peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia is now not only on paper but also in practice,” Aliyev said on Tuesday.

Pashinyan, referring to the August 8 peace deal signed in Washington D.C. by Armenia and Baku, said Baku has taken an important step in implementing that section of the declaration regarding the opening of communication and transportation links.

“This is an extremely important announcement, and I would like to express my appreciation for this step by the president of Azerbaijan and welcome this announcement," Pashinyan said.

Some regional analysts see the lifting of restrictions not only as a political gesture, but as a move that could reshape the logic of regional relations in the South Caucasus.

Armenia is heavily dependent on grain imports from Russia.

Armen Grigoryan, Armenia's Security Council Secretary, proposed in October 2024 that Armenia should switch from a wheat-based diet to a rice-based one to enhance national security.