Technical Phase of Railway Restoration with Azerbaijan Has Not Yet Started

The working group for the restoration of the railway section from Yeraskh to the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Mehri region has not yet held a meeting with the mayor of Mehri community. This was stated to 24News by Bagrat Zakaryan, the head of Mehri community in Syunik province.

On January 15, Artashes Tumanyan, an advisor to the Prime Minister of Armenia, was appointed as the head of the working group, which is supposed to be in Mehri from January 14-17 according to another decision. Zakaryan mentioned that there have been no discussions or meetings with him regarding the restoration of the railroads, nor has any project or program been presented to him.

“I cannot say whether the members of the working group have come or not; I have not officially welcomed anyone. Whether they came with another group, left, or conducted studies, I cannot say either, but specifically, there have been no meetings or discussions with the mayor's office,” he concluded.

The mayor of the Yeraskh community, Radik Oghikyan, also stated that there have been no discussions or meetings with him regarding this issue.

Ruben Grdzelyan, the press secretary of the South Caucasus Railway Company, also noted that the company is not participating in the political processes regarding the restoration of the railway. “The government’s trilateral commission is dealing with this matter. If opportunities arise, we can only participate in the next stage; at this stage, we do not have a role,” he emphasized.

Grdzelyan also mentioned that the company has the technical capabilities to participate in the restoration of the railway. “The company has been engaged in capital repairs for 13 years, meaning it has the opportunity to build a line from scratch, as was done for the nuclear power plant when a previously non-operational line was restored. When the political decision will be made, whether we will participate or another organization will do it... We can act as contractors. No project has yet been presented,” he concluded.

In a conversation with the media, former Minister of Transport and Communications, candidate of technical sciences, and professor Henrik Kochinyan stated that during the restoration process, consultations should involve specialists, entrepreneurs, and, to some extent, community leaders. “For example, they should consult with the Kajaran plant since there may be transportation concerns regarding their products, and consultations can be held with the mayor of Kapan,” he noted.

Regarding which companies could be involved in the restoration work, Kochinyan first mentioned the South Caucasus Railway. “Because they are primarily engaged in railway construction. ‘Kamurjshin’, ‘Metroshin’ companies could participate, meaning those who have been involved in railway and metro construction and design works. Road construction enterprises can participate in soil structure construction activities. Various sector-specific companies can be involved in the work. One can win the competition, while another can be engaged as a subcontractor,” the professor concluded.