On August 25, Armenia’s Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure announced that Armenian and Azerbaijani energy officials had held a working meeting in Berdzor (Lachin), in occupied Artsakh.
According to the ministry, the Armenian side was represented by officials from the ministry and the state-owned Electric Power System Operator. Azerbaijan was represented by its Energy Ministry and state electricity company Azerenerji.
The announcement was notably brief. It did not say what was discussed, whether any agreements were reached, or what specific issues were on the agenda.
The meeting comes as Azerenerji is building an electricity transmission line that Azerbaijan says will connect mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhichevan, Turkey and eventually Europe.
Part of that route is expected to pass through southern Armenia.
In practical terms, the project would allow electricity from Azerbaijan to cross Armenian territory, reach Nakhichevan and continue toward Turkey.
Baku has already been constructing the infrastructure on its side. Earlier this month, Ilham Aliyev said the project for the section inside Armenia had been prepared and claimed that locations for electricity pylons on Armenian territory had already been identified.
The Berdzor meeting is therefore significant because Armenia’s electricity system operator has now held direct talks with the same Azerbaijani company developing the infrastructure intended to continue through Armenia.
The talks also come as Nikol Pashinyan’s government pursues broader transport, trade and infrastructure connectivity with Azerbaijan and Turkey.
At this stage, however, there is no official confirmation that the August 25 meeting was specifically connected to the planned electricity route through southern Armenia.
Armenia’s Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure has provided no further details about what was discussed or the outcome of the Berdzor meeting.
