Pashinyan: Armenia seeks friendly solution with Russia over railway management

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that his government will not pursue confrontational solutions with Russia over the concession management of Armenia’s railways and prefers to resolve the issue in a “friendly atmosphere.”

“The solution is for us to mutually understand and recognize each other’s interests and make certain compromises, one of which could be Russia’s sale of its concession rights,” Pashinyan said at a press briefing.

“This could be done in full or in part; that is, there could be certain shareholding configurations in which the distribution of shares would be structured in a way that would not hinder this historic opportunity for Armenia to integrate into the international transport network,” Pashinyan added.

In May 2026, Pashinyan said Armenia wanted to change the approach to the concession management of its railway so that sanctions-related obstacles would not become a problem for the development of the country’s railway system.

The concession management of Armenia’s railway is currently carried out by Russia through South Caucasus Railway.

Pashinyan had previously addressed the issue, saying that Russian management deprives Armenia of certain competitive advantages and proposing that the concession management of the Armenian railway be transferred to a third country that is friendly to both Armenia and Russia. Russian officials have so far opposed the idea.