Pashinyan expresses hope for swift opening of Armenia–Türkiye railway

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has expressed hope for the swift opening of the Armenia–Türkiye railway amid ongoing efforts to diversify export destinations.

“During this period, we also gained new transport opportunities,” he said at a Cabinet meeting. “Both lines of the Akhalkalaki–Kars railway are operating. I also discussed this issue with the Prime Minister of Georgia, and he assured me that no problems will arise in either direction. I also spoke with the President of Türkiye on this matter, and he also confirmed that these routes are open. We hope that the Armenia–Türkiye railway will be opened as soon as possible. Not to mention that, within the framework of the TRIPP project, the opportunities will significantly increase,” the Prime Minister said.

Amid restrictions imposed by Russia on the import of Armenian goods, Pashinyan also noted that the Armenian government has consistently worked toward market diversification, which is now yielding results.

“We now need to promote the creation of logistics centers so that, for example, tomato producers can find a formula to act as a unified exporter, because in many cases there is interest in the quality of the product and in purchasing it, but when it comes to volumes, it turns out that we can only produce part of the required quantities. This can be compensated through consolidated supply. There are mega-chains that are interested, but small volumes are a problem for them,” Pashinyan said.

Pashinyan said that his Dutch counterpart sent him a personal letter stating that they are paying special attention to the issue and will support Armenian businesses to avoid difficulties.

“This concerns the rose market. I remember that last October, during various visits, we kept thinking about how to consolidate our rose industry so that we could gain access to Dutch markets. And, as [things moved faster than expected], now this is a great opportunity,” he emphasized.