Armenia, Turkey hold talks on reopening Gyumri–Kars railway

Armenia and Turkey have renewed efforts to restore direct transport links, holding a new round of talks on Tuesday in the Turkish city of Kars focused on reopening the long-idle Gyumri–Kars railway.

The meeting brought together the Armenia–Turkey joint working group on the rehabilitation and operation of the railway, established as part of the broader normalization process between the two countries. According to Armenia’s foreign ministry, both sides emphasized the importance of launching the railway as soon as possible, particularly in the context of expanding regional transport connectivity.

The Gyumri–Kars line, which has been inactive for decades, is seen as a key piece of infrastructure that could reconnect Armenia to regional and international rail networks, with implications for trade, logistics, and economic integration.

The United States Embassy in Yerevan has welcomed the talks, describing them as a concrete step toward reopening long-closed economic and social ties between Armenia and Turkey. In a statement, the embassy called the development “historic progress” toward building a peaceful and prosperous South Caucasus. It also noted that momentum for such steps had been building since a Washington summit hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump last August.

The railway has become a central focus of ongoing technical discussions between the two countries. A previous meeting of the working group took place on November 28, 2025, at the Armenia–Turkey border crossing between Akhurik and Akyaka, where representatives discussed practical aspects of restoring and operating the line.

These efforts stem from agreements reached by the countries’ special envoys, Ruben Rubinyan of Armenia and Serdar Kılıç of Turkey, who have led the normalization process. Their last publicly known meeting took place on September 12, 2025, at the border, after which talks continued in Yerevan.

Armenian officials have also highlighted the broader strategic significance of reopening transport links. In an April 17 interview with CNN Türk, Armenia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan pointed to the country’s “Crossroads of Peace” initiative, which envisions Armenia as a transit hub connecting Europe with Central Asia. The Gyumri–Kars railway could play a key role in that vision, particularly in facilitating rail connections across the wider region.

However, significant political hurdles remain. Armenia and Turkey agreed in 2022 to open their land border, which Ankara closed in 1993, to third-country nationals, but that agreement has never been implemented. Turkey has continued to tie full normalization with Armenia to the signing of a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan. At the same time, Baku has maintained it will not sign the treaty until Yerevan makes changes to its constitution, a long and complicated process, resulting in the ongoing impasse.