By Alexander Pracht
The Armenian government voted on Thursday to join the Ashgabat Agreement, a multinational pact establishing an international transport and transit corridor linking Central Asia to the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea.
“Joining the Ashgabat Agreement will create new opportunities to integrate into a transport corridor connecting Central Asian countries with the ports of the Persian Gulf and to utilize the transit and transport potential of the member states,” the government’s justification said.
The Ashgabat Agreement currently includes Iran, Oman, Qatar, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Armenia’s accession is expected to enhance freight and passenger transit across member states by improving reliability, streamlining customs procedures, and fostering conditions for multimodal transportation. The move aligns with Yerevan’s Crossroads of Peace initiative, aimed at positioning Armenia as a key transit hub in the region.
The agreement also complements both China’s strategic interests in Armenia, viewing the country as a potential link in its efforts to connect Asia with Europe, and Iran’s ambitions to expand connectivity in the South Caucasus. Tehran and Yerevan both oppose Azerbaijan’s proposed corridor connecting it to Turkey through southern Armenian territory. Meanwhile, Armenia’s Crossroads of Peace plan has so far failed to gain backing from either Baku or Ankara.
Last year, Armenia launched a major infrastructure project in its southernmost Syunik region, building a new highway between the towns of Sisian and Kajaran. The route is set to improve north–south connectivity, linking central Armenia more directly to the Iranian border.
Strategically significant, the new road offers an alternative to existing highways that run close to Azerbaijan’s border. The highway is a key part of Armenia’s ambition to serve as a transit artery between Asia and the Black Sea, and ultimately Europe. It is expected to be completed by 2030 and is co-financed by the European Investment Bank (EIB), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the Armenian government.
Signed in 2011 and named after the capital of Turkmenistan, the Ashgabat Agreement promotes regional connectivity through an international transport corridor between Central Asia and the Middle East. Before Armenia’s membership becomes official, the agreement will be submitted to the Constitutional Court for a ruling on its compliance with the Armenian Constitution. If approved, it will then be sent to the National Assembly for ratification.
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