Two fuel shipments from Azerbaijan to Armenia in recent months have made groundbreaking changes - not only to the reconciliation process between the countries, but to reshaping the Armenian market by driving local prices down. The country once relied solely on Russia and Iran for energy supplies.
Premium gasoline from Azerbaijan began entering the Armenian market in mid-December 2025, and a second shipment arrived in January, representing not just a symbolic breakthrough but also a new diversification of supply already driving prices down for consumers and boosting the local economy.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan recently said that Azerbaijani fuel imports cut petrol prices in Armenia by up to 15%, driving the minimum price down from 510 (€1.16) to 430 (€0,98) dram per litre.
Compared to December, diesel prices declined by about 2% and regular petrol fell by 8%. Pashinyan stated that imports have broken the fuel monopolies in Armenia and have yielded economic benefits from the ongoing Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process.
Attending a Euronews panel at the World Economic Forum summit in Davos on Tuesday alongside Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan highlighted this new development, saying that “in Yerevan people can already buy Azerbaijani fuel for their cars.”
“Years ago if you would have spoken about this, there would have been a hostile reaction. But this is the new reality we live in,” the Armenian president said, adding that the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace process is now opening a reinforced cooperation and regional development for the two countries.
“The alliance for the Middle Corridor, the South Caucasus, our region is becoming more and more important for the European Union, for the European countries, but also for the Far East”, Khachaturyan added.
Meanwhile, Dr Slawomir Raszewski, senior lecturer and oil, gas and energy management programme director at the Royal Docks Business School in London, told Euronews how important Azerbaijani fuel imports are for Armenia’s energy balance today.
“Should the supplies continue to increase, energy imports from Azerbaijan offer opportunities akin to those enjoyed by neighbouring Georgia, a country which has reaped the benefits of regional energy cooperation with Azerbaijan over the past few decades providing for energy supply diversification first and foremost,” Raszewski said, stressing that Armenia’s imports of Azerbaijani fuels are essential for the country’s inclusion in future regional economic integration.
The expert believes that the new energy imports also have a symbolic political impact, signalling pragmatism and a break from decades of isolation. Should Armenia continue and increase fuel imports from Azerbaijan, the country’s energy system will become more diversified, which in turn is likely to reshape its whole pricing system.
At present, Armenia’s energy supply sources comprise primarily conventional energy sources, oil, natural gas, and coal, in addition to nuclear and hydroelectricity. Both are essential to power generation and are largely monopolised by a few key players.
Imports from Russia and Iran still play a crucial role in the country’s energy security. “Diversification of supplies, routes and sources need to become the top energy policy priority for Yerevan going forward”, Raszewski said.
In Raszewski's view, Armenia’s energy market functions like an "island market," meaning it is isolated or limited in terms of market integration with its neighbours.
“Expanding physical and economic connectivity is necessary to achieve a lasting impact on prices in Armenia," he concluded.