The Azerbaijani government said that the shipment, the first of its kind, was carried in out in line with understandings reached by deputy prime ministers of the two countries during a November 28 meeting in Azerbaijan. It said the nearly 1,300 tons of fuel produced by the state oil company SOCAR was sold at a market-based price.
None of Armenia’s fuel importers acknowledged the purchase in the following hours. Armenian Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan declined to name the private buyer or buyers.
“If the businesses continue the import and the prices fall, then [Azerbaijani gasoline] is competitive,” Papoyan told RFE/RL’s Armenian Service. “If the prices don’t go down, then I suppose they won’t import it anymore.”
Armenia imported 490,000 tons of petrol and other fuel last year. About two-thirds of it came from Russia.
“Let’s just note that we trade [with Azerbaijan,] instead of waging a war,” said Papoyan. “War is a loss, trade is prosperity.”
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian also welcomed the Azerbaijani shipment. He said it was made possible by “peace established between Armenia and Azerbaijan.”
Georgia’s government was the first to reveal the upcoming delivery last week with the announcement of its one-off exemption from Georgian transit fees. Pashinian implied on Thursday that the fees are too high to justify possible further imports of Azerbaijani fuel via Georgia.
In a related development, Azerbaijan allowed Kazakhstan last month to export 1,000 tons of wheat to Armenia through its territory. Pashinian’s government found itself on the defensive when it emerged afterwards that Armenia imported low-grade Kazakh wheat which is mainly used as animal feed. Opposition figures and other critics rang alarm bells, saying that it must not be used for bread production.