Armenian Transport Minister says Iranian businessmen interested in Armenia as route to Black Sea

YEREVAN, JUNE 30, ARMENPRESS. Armenia spares no efforts to offer Iran the best transport routes, Minister of Transport and Communication of Armenia Gagik Beglaryan told the reporters after Cabinet meeting, referring to the question of the construction of a railway and highway between Iran, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

“We do everything to be dominant in this region. Recently I paid a visit to Iran and we signed a number of agreements. Today any country offers an alternative. If Armenia is able to offer the Iranian side reliable routes with better prices I have no doubts the Iranian businessmen are interested to enter the Black Sea via Armenia”, “Armenpress” reports Beglaryan saying.

According to him, this is the reason why the Armenian leadership has taken a rapid political decision by the assignment of the President of Armenia to construct asphalt road instead of concrete road in the Agarak-Sisian section of North-South road. “This will allow us to finish the Agarak-Sisian section very rapidly, which will reduce the distance to Yerevan by 70 kms sparing nearly 2.5 hours. We plan to complete the construction of the road maximum within 3 years”, the Minister said, adding that Armenia has a railroad in Yeraskh in quite a good condition that will allow to transport the Iranian goods to the Black Sea ports.

Beglaryan informed that evaluation shows in case of using Agarak-Yeraskh-Black Sea route, each Iranian businessman will save 500 dollars compared to the route offered by Azerbaijan.