Pashinyan: Armenia, Russian Railways to discuss railway concession

Russian Railways CEO Oleg Belozerov will visit Armenia next week to discuss the railway concession with Armenian officials, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said, Report informs, citing Armenian media.

Pashinyan said the sides would hold a working discussion and draw conclusions based on its results.

"We will hold a working discussion and draw some conclusions from its results," Pashinyan said.

Asked about proposals from the Russian side regarding the restoration of railway border crossings with Turkey and Azerbaijan, as outlined by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, Pashinyan said that a Kazakh company was also interested in carrying out the work.

Armenia's railway infrastructure was transferred to South Caucasus Railway (SCR) under a 30-year concession agreement in February 2008, with an option to extend it for another 10 years.

The issue of revising the existing Russian concession emerged amid Armenia's plans to restore railway sections on its borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey. In May, Pashinyan said the Armenian government was ready to finance the reconstruction itself.

Pashinyan also proposed that Moscow consider transferring the concession to a friendly third country. However, Russian Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin later said that such a matter was not under discussion.