Armenian and Turkish officials have met in Kars to discuss reopening the Gyumri-Kars railway.

According to Armenia’s Foreign Ministry, on April 28, a session of the Armenia–Turkey joint working group focused on restoring and launching the Gyumri-Kars railway, in line with normalization agreements between the two countries.

“In the context of expanding regional transport links, the sides stressed the importance of launching the railway as soon as possible,” the statement said.

The U.S. Embassy in Armenia described the meeting as “historic progress toward a peaceful and prosperous South Caucasus.”

“Armenian and Turkish officials met in Kars to establish a joint working group on reconstructing the railway. Restoring this connection is a key step toward reopening regional routes and strengthening stability. The groundwork for such developments was laid during the August 8 Washington summit hosted by President Trump.

The embassy welcomes these concrete steps toward reopening long-closed economic and social ties between Armenia and Turkey,” the statement said.

Yerevan and Ankara announced in December 2021 their readiness to normalize relations. In 2022, talks in Vienna led to agreements on opening the border to third-country nationals and launching direct cargo flights, though these steps remain unimplemented.

In September 2025, Serdar Kilic visited Armenia. The Foreign Ministry said the sides reviewed steps to implement earlier agreements and agreed to accelerate the process.