Armenia, Turkey Hold High-Level Energy Talks, Eye Greater Power and Gas Links

A meeting on the sidelines of an IAEA gathering signaled a new push to tie energy projects to broader economic normalization between Yerevan and Ankara.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Infrastructure Minister Davit Khudatyan met March 10 with Turkish Energy Minister Alparslan Bayraktar to review possible cooperation on electricity, nuclear matters and natural gas, Turkish officials said in social media updates. The encounter — the most senior exchange since Pashinyan’s trip to Istanbul last summer — was presented by both sides as practical and technical in tone, rather than an attempt to resolve long-standing historical disputes.

The contact follows a rapprochement effort that many analysts trace to the Istanbul meeting and to Pashinyan’s push to prioritize economic development over diplomatic rows rooted in the past. Prior attempts to restore ties collapsed more than a decade ago, and Ankara’s close relationship with Baku has long complicated any move to remove restrictions that have limited trade and transit with Armenia since the 1990s.

Officials gave few public details about the March 10 discussion. Observers say nuclear cooperation was unlikely to dominate the talks despite the IAEA setting, given the political sensitivities; instead, ministers appear to have focused on integrating Armenia into regional electricity grids and gas networks. An Ankara-based energy analyst noted that energy deals are often less politically fraught and can create momentum for wider engagement if technical frameworks are agreed.

Infrastructure proposals under discussion include links tied to the proposed TRIPP corridor, a route designed mainly for road and rail but that also envisages power lines and a gas trunk. Azerbaijan has already begun installing 330-kilovolt transmission lines along parts of the planned route and some Western plans envision a TRIPP Development Company to carry out work across southern Armenia. Yerevan already maintains a 220-kilovolt tie with Turkey that has seen limited use; engineers in both capitals say upgrading that connection would be straightforward. Turkey in 2025 completed a pipeline to Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan exclave, and extending gas service through TRIPP or from lines near Kars would be technically feasible.

Energy dependence has driven Armenia’s outreach. The Soviet-era Metsamor nuclear plant supplies as much as two-fifths of the country’s electricity and has relied on Russian fuel, while natural gas and oil imports have been sourced from Russia and Iran. Those arrangements are vulnerable to shifting geopolitics and sanctions affecting Russian supplies and to rising instability in the region involving Iran. In February, Armenia signed a cooperation accord with the United States on nuclear energy as it plans for a long-term replacement of Metsamor.

Regionally, Ankara’s reluctance to break with Baku has been a major constraint: Turkey has linked any loosening of restrictions to progress between Armenia and Azerbaijan. A Yerevan-based scholar said energy links could deliver immediate economic benefits for communities along the border and create incentives to address political obstacles, but cautioned that deep-seated political issues would still need high-level political decisions to be resolved.