Azerbaijan Ratifies International Road Transport Agreement with Kyrgyzstan

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev ratified an agreement with Kyrgyzstan on international road transport. The corresponding law, dated October 13, 2026, was published on the official website of the Azerbaijani president on October 21.

The agreement, which includes 24 articles, was signed on July 31, 2026 in Cholpon-Ata. The National Assembly of Azerbaijan approved it on October 13.

The document regulates freight and passenger transport between the two countries, including transit through their territories. For most transport between Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan, as well as transit to third countries, a permit system is in place. Certain categories of cargo are exempt from obtaining permits. The transport of hazardous, heavy, and oversized cargo will require special permission and prior route coordination.

For regular bus routes, the competent authorities of both countries must agree in advance on working conditions, including the route, schedule, tariffs, stops, and frequency of service. Priority treatment in border and customs control is provided for transport carrying seriously ill patients, animals, and perishable goods, as well as for regular bus services.

To monitor compliance with the agreement, the parties agreed to establish a joint commission.

Since Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan do not share a common border, the agreement is primarily important as a tool for Kyrgyz carriers to access routes through the Caspian region and South Caucasus. According to World Bank estimates, the development of the Middle Corridor and the reduction of transport costs can provide Kyrgyzstan with an additional GDP increase of 4.83%, or approximately 735 million dollars. This is an estimate of the potential effect of developing the entire transport corridor, not an individual bilateral agreement.