Video: We Are Close to Opening Regional Communications, Says Prime Minister

During today’s government meeting, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed the opening of regional communications. He recalled that yesterday, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk and CEO of Russian Railways Oleg Belozyorov arrived in Armenia, where they met with Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan.

Pashinyan stated that this visit has a very important feature; they are very close to registering the first practical results of the trilateral working group on the opening of regional communications.

According to the Prime Minister, yesterday's visit was practical and completely dedicated to the construction of the Yerevan-Julfa-Ordubad-Meghri-Horadiz railway line. “We have already reached agreements, and an inseparable part of them is the fact that we need to build the railway to operate within the territory of Armenia under Armenian legislation, and in Azerbaijan, under Azerbaijani legislation,” he noted.

Currently, discussions are underway about formulating technical specifications, project design, the commencement of construction, and financing issues. “If we continue with this dynamics, we can be confident that implementing this opportunity in the near future becomes tangible, but as long as the railway is not built and the first train has not passed, we must always keep in mind that the situation is not ordinary. However, the political will we express is already receiving concrete manifestations,” Pashinyan emphasized.

Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan also stated that there will be bilateral communications related to the restoration of the railway line. “Because the operator is South Caucasus Railways, and we consider it right to have intense expert communications on the project moving forward at this stage also on a bilateral platform because starting from the design phase, it is indeed important for our cooperation with the operator to be close, so that the project has a logic that allows for immediate construction and operation without obstacles,” the Deputy Prime Minister noted.

He added that Russian Railways is one of the most serious organizations in the world, and the expertise they possess is very important for the implementation of this project. Pashinyan also recalled that a working group has been established under the leadership of his advisor Artashes Tumanyan, which will engage in fieldwork—looking at the areas and construction site locations. Artashes Tumanyan mentioned that the first meeting has taken place, and there are preliminary observations; yesterday’s meeting was very practical. “We envision the tasks, and if successful, we will have results,” he concluded.