Third country with warm ties to Armenia and Russia should acquire railway concession rights - Pashinyan
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A third country that maintains warm relations with both Armenia and Russia should purchase the concession management rights to Armenia’s railway from Russia, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said.
Speaking to journalists, Pashinyan referred to discussions within the framework of the TRIPP initiative, noting that some actors argue that after Meghri, when the railway enters Nakhichevan, it should bypass Armenia.
“There are forces within the framework of TRIPP that say: let us arrange it so that after Meghri, when the railway enters Nakhichevan, it bypasses Armenia. They argue that the Armenian railway is under the management of the Russian Federation. Unfortunately, relations between Russia and many countries are tense. But we say that the railway is the property of Armenia, and Russia does not want and will not create obstacles to our regional projects,” the Prime Minister said.
"I have discussed this issue with the Russian President, I know that he supports all these programs,'' he said. However, he said that in a number of countries the prevailing view is that there is no need for the railway to continue through Armenia after Nakhichevan, given that the railway is under Russian management.
According to the Prime Minister, this perception is causing Armenia to lose strategic positions and competitive advantages.
“The solution I envision is that a country with friendly relations with both the Russian Federation and Armenia simply purchase the concession management rights from Russia. For example, Kazakhstan, the UAE, Qatar, or any other country that has equally warm relations with both the Russian Federation and Armenia,” Pashinyan said.