ST. PETERSBURG, December 22. /TASS/. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed gratitude to Russian President Vladimir Putin for supporting the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, stating that normalization of relations between Yerevan and Baku would enhance ties between Yerevan and Moscow.

During their meeting, Pashinyan noted that significant positive developments are occurring in the South Caucasus. "I would like to thank you for supporting the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan. As we discussed after August 8 in our phone conversation, the achieved peace will open new opportunities for further development of bilateral relations between Armenia and Russia," the Armenian prime minister said.

Pashinyan expressed confidence that peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan has already been achieved, as trains from Russia now travel to Armenia through Azerbaijani territory. "I believe this is truly a historic event. And, as you mentioned, new opportunities are emerging," the prime minister added.

On November 6, it was reported that the first shipment of Russian grain was delivered by train to Armenia via Azerbaijan and Georgia for the first time in three decades. Earlier, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk stated that Russian Railways and regional counterparts are working on organizing the transit of Russian goods to Armenia through Azerbaijani territory. This statement followed Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's announcement that Baku had lifted restrictions on cargo transit to Armenia through its territory.

On August 8, following a trilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a joint declaration on peaceful settlement between Baku and Yerevan and the creation of a transport link between mainland Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan. This project was named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity.