By AZE.US
Armenia and Russia are discussing the possible transfer of the concession to operate Armenia’s railway network to a third country, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said.
Pashinyan described such a transfer as the best and potentially only realistic solution to the dispute surrounding the network’s future management, Vesti Baku reported.
Speaking after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Bishkek, the Armenian leader said both sides understood that the current situation could not continue indefinitely and that a negotiated solution was necessary.
One option would involve selling the concession rights to a country acceptable to both Armenia and Russia. Moscow has not publicly confirmed the terms of any potential transaction.
Armenia’s railways are currently operated by South Caucasus Railway, a wholly owned subsidiary of Russian Railways. The concession agreement was signed in 2008 for 30 years, with an option to extend it for another decade.
Pashinyan previously estimated that the concession rights could be worth approximately $400 million and mentioned Kazakhstan as a possible buyer, provided Russia approved the transaction.
The issue has direct implications for Azerbaijan and the wider region. Armenia is discussing the restoration of railway sections connecting its network with Azerbaijan and Turkey, while the TRIPP project could create a new transport link between mainland Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan.
A transfer of the concession would therefore determine not only who manages Armenia’s existing railway system, but also who could control infrastructure serving future regional trade routes.
AZE.US