Shipping Russian and Kazakh cargo to Armenia by rail via the territories of Azerbaijan and Georgia is beneficial for all parties, as confirmed by the growing volume of transportation, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk said in an interview with TASS.
“Specialists from Russian Railways literally reached an agreement within a few days to transport Russian and Kazakh cargo to Armenia via Azerbaijan and Georgia. The first shipment to arrive in Armenia by rail in thirty years, loaded with grain, was Russian. Now fertilizers are beginning to be transported, and the range of goods is expanding,” Overchuk noted.
According to the Russian Deputy Prime Minister, the government is interested in developing trade and increasing cargo flows between countries.
“We are grateful to Azerbaijan and Georgia for their very constructive and effective cooperation in the unblocking of an EAEU member state,” he emphasized.
Overchuk also stated that there are no objective reasons to sell the concession of the South Caucasus Railway company to a third party.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova denied reports that negotiations were underway to transfer the management of Armenia’s railway network, handed over to Russia under the concession agreement, to Kazakhstan. According to Zakharova, Moscow is not holding such talks with either Yerevan or Astana.
