On May 8, 2025, the Armenian government voted to join the Ashgabat Agreement, a multinational pact establishing an international transport corridor linking Central Asia to the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea, report the Armenian website CivilNet.
The agreement currently includes Iran, Oman, Qatar, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Armenia’s accession aims to integrate the country into new transport routes while improving freight and passenger transit through enhanced reliability, streamlined customs procedures, and multimodal transportation development.
This move aligns with Armenia’s “Crossroads of Peace” initiative, which aims to establish the country as a regional transit hub. It also complements China’s interest in Armenia as a potential Asia-Europe connection point and Iran’s ambitions to expand South Caucasus connectivity. Both Armenia and Iran oppose Azerbaijan’s proposed corridor through southern Armenian territory, while Armenia’s peace plan lacks support from Azerbaijan and Turkey.
In support of its transit ambitions, Armenia launched a major infrastructure project in its Syunik region last year—a new highway between Sisian and Kajaran that will improve north-south connectivity and provide an alternative to routes near Azerbaijan’s border. This project, expected to be completed by 2030, is co-financed by the European Investment Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Armenian government.
Before finalizing membership, the Ashgabat Agreement (originally signed in 2011) will be reviewed by Armenia’s Constitutional Court and then sent to the National Assembly for ratification. /// nCa, 13 May 2025