Moscow Clarifies Yerevan's Questions Regarding the South Caucasian Railway Concession

The Russian side has presented Armenia with all the necessary clarifications regarding the concessionary management of the South Caucasian Railway.

In an interview with TASS, Mikhail Kalugin, Director of the Fourth Department for CIS countries of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that the issue of the railway concession became a topic of detailed discussion on April 1 during the meeting between the leaders of Russia and Armenia. According to the diplomat, answers have been provided to the questions that concerned the Armenian side, and there has been mutual understanding regarding further working modalities, which also includes the participation of the Russian side in unblocking regional communications.

Kalugin noted that Moscow has acknowledged Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s statement that Armenia does not intend to discuss concession issues “behind Russia's back.” He disagreed with the view that the management of railways by a Russian company limits Armenia’s competitive opportunities. According to the diplomat, work carried out within the framework of the concession has laid the foundation for discussions today about Armenia's participation in the reactivation of transport routes in the South Caucasus.

The Russian official recalled that since 2008, approximately 30 billion rubles have been invested in Armenian railways, while about 15 billion rubles have been transferred to the state budget. Part of the investments has been directed towards the renewal of rolling stock, and one of the new trains on the Yerevan-Gyumri route has been personally tested by the Prime Minister. Kalugin also highlighted that the South Caucasian Railway provides around 2,500 jobs, remaining one of the largest employers. He expressed confidence that the management of Russian specialists guarantees a great potential for mutually beneficial cooperation.