Pashinyan highlights importance of extending railway to Kapan

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has stressed the importance of extending the railway to Kapan in the future, emphasizing its significance for the operation of industrial enterprises in Syunik.

The Prime Minister made the remarks during a parliamentary question-and-answer session, responding to a question from opposition Armenia Alliance MP Artur Khachatryan.

The MP asked what steps have been taken to ensure unhindered domestic communication for Armenia through the territory of Azerbaijan.

“I am convinced that at some point in the future we will also address the issue of extending the railway to Kapan, because you know that it operated during Soviet times, but through the territory of Azerbaijan. That is, from Meghri it entered Azerbaijan once again, and then from Azerbaijan it entered Kapan. And this is also very important from the perspective of the operation of the Zangezur Copper Molybdenum Combine, from the perspective of the operation of the Kapan Mining and Processing Combine, and especially taking into account the traffic load on the roads, their overloading and congestion. This is an important project that we need to implement,” Pashinyan said.

The Prime Minister linked the prospect of addressing the issue of extending the railway to Kapan in the future to the institutionalization of peace and also the establishment of peace at the socio-psychological level.

According to Pashinyan, the issue currently concerns the restoration of the Soviet-era railway passing through Meghri. He emphasized that one of the important goals of the TRIPP project for Armenia is to ensure railway communication between the northern and southern parts of the country through the territory of Azerbaijan, particularly Nakhchivan.

The Prime Minister also recalled that after the railway through the territory of Azerbaijan was opened for Armenia, imports have already been carried out, and there are also opportunities for exports.