Türkiye and Armenia Advance Talks on Reopening Kars–Gyumri Railway in Kars Meeting

Reflecto News | Regional Connectivity & Diplomacy | Caucasus

KARS, Türkiye — Turkish and Armenian officials met in the eastern Turkish city of Kars on April 28, 2026, to push forward with plans to rehabilitate and operationalize the Kars–Gyumri railway, a key link in their ongoing normalization process .

The meeting of the Joint Working Group, confirmed by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, focused on relaunching the rail connection that has been closed for over three decades. Both sides emphasized the strategic importance of opening the line as soon as possible to boost regional transport links and connectivity, with both nations describing the launch as a priority for improving regional transport communications .

🤝 Progress in the Normalization Process

The Kars meeting represents the latest step in a fragile yet persistent thaw between Ankara and Yerevan.

• Working Group Framework: Tuesday’s gathering was a session of the bilateral working group dedicated specifically to the Kars-Gyumri railway. The group was established earlier this year and has already held several preparatory meetings .
• Previously Achieved Milestones: Ahead of the Kars meeting, the sides had already agreed to conduct the necessary technical studies for relaunching the rail link . They also reiterated a 2022 commitment to open the land border to certain passport holders (diplomats and citizens of third countries), though Turkey has reportedly continued to “drag its feet” on that specific provision .

🌍 International Support and the ‘Washington Effect’

The push to reopen the railway has drawn explicit backing from the United States, which views the project as a pillar of regional stability.

The U.S. Embassy in Yerevan welcomed the news via a social media post titled “Historic progress toward a peaceful and prosperous South Caucasus” .

In a statement, the Embassy said: “Restoring this critical link between Armenia and Türkiye is an important step in unlocking regional connectivity and solidifying regional stability” .

U.S. officials directly linked this momentum to the Washington Summit hosted by President Donald Trump on August 8, 2025, which they credit with setting the stage for such concrete developments .

🚆 Strategic Importance for the Region

The rehabilitation of the Kars–Gyumri railway holds significant economic and geopolitical weight.

Shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 as a show of solidarity with Azerbaijan during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. The railway has remained non-operational ever since.

By reopening this direct rail link, both nations aim to:

• Enhance Regional Connectivity: The line would provide a direct freight and passenger route, better integrating the South Caucasus with regional trade networks.
• Boost Trade and Travel: It would substantially reduce transit times and costs for goods moving between Europe and Asia via the “Middle Corridor.”
• Solidify Normalization: Economists see the railway as a concrete “lock-in” mechanism for the normalization process, making a return to hostility economically costly for both sides .

🔮 What Comes Next

While Tuesday’s meeting produced consensus on the urgency of the project, the parties did not announce a specific reopening date.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry stated that the sides would focus on completing the necessary technical studies and expediting rehabilitation work on the aging tracks and yards. Officials also stressed that the establishment of working-level committees would be critical to overcoming the decades of infrastructure decay and previous political roadblocks.

🗝️ Key Takeaways for Reflecto News Readers

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