Zakharova: Russia in talks with Armenia to restore rail links to Azerbaijani and Turkish borders
ArmInfo. The Russian side is in active contact with Armenian partners regarding the restoration of railway lines leading to the borders of Azerbaijan and Turkey, as stated by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova during a weekly briefing on January 30.
"The Russian side remains in contact with Armenian partners, including through the government's economic bloc. All requests from Yerevan are being promptly handled by the relevant agencies," the Russian diplomat said, commenting on Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's earlier appeals for Russian assistance in restoring these cross-border rail connections.
"Regarding the 'Trump Road,' as they call it, we reaffirm our willingness to explore possible options for our participation, taking into account Russian Railways' unique expertise. Before proceeding, it would probably be worthwhile to familiarize ourselves with all the details of the implementation and operation of this initiative, as we understand, its development is still in its early stages. Our proposal to Yerevan to hold substantive consultations involving all interested agencies remains valid," she concluded.
Recall, over the past month, the Armenian Prime Minister has repeatedly appealed to Russia to consider the possibility of expeditiously restoring railway sections in the direction of the Turkish and Azerbaijani borders. He also emphasized that if, for any reason, Russia is unable to invest in these infrastructure projects, the Armenian government is prepared to reclaim these sections, currently under concession management by SCR, and independently restore them.
Note, SCR CJSC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Russian Railways OJSC. On February 13, 2008, a concession agreement was signed in Yerevan between Russian Railways OJSC and the Republic of Armenia transferring the Republic's rail transport system to SCR CJSC. According to the agreement, the concession management term is 30 years, with the right to extend it for an additional 10 years after the first 20 years of operation by mutual agreement of the parties. South Caucasus Railways (SCR) is tasked with modernizing the Republic of Armenia's railway infrastructure, developing cooperation with neighboring countries, and developing domestic and international passenger and freight service. The Company's investment totals $572 million. SCR commenced operations on June 1, 2008.