During a parliamentary briefing, a journalist recalled that a few months ago the Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikwol Pashinyan had announced a new model for railway management, and asked whether there were any updates-whether any country had offered to take over management, and whether Russia had finalized its position or was ready to withdraw from management.
Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan clarified:
“The Prime Minister said that, as a result of this situation, Armenia’s railways are losing competitiveness, and certain countries that do not want to deal in any way with Russia or assets and projects managed by it prefer to bypass Armenia. This is a fact, and no one is really hiding it-not even those same countries that want to bypass us.
Now, we want Armenia not to be bypassed and for the railways of the Republic of Armenia to be modernized. We want Armenia’s railways-at least (we were just talking about Gyumri–Kars, the missing physical section of about two kilometers or so)-to be connected on one side with Turkey’s railway network, and on the other side also with Yeraskh and Nakhchivan; and in the far south, we also discussed the TRIPP project.
Now, the managing company and the country to which that company belongs must take a position on this issue. If they proceed with construction and modernization, that is one reality; if they refuse, that is another. We will need to consider alternative solutions. I am not aware of a final position yet,” he said.
