The Russian side is in constant contact with its Armenian partners on the restoration of railway sections under the Russian concession management in Armenia. All requests received from Yerevan are immediately considered by the relevant departments, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated during Friday’s press briefing.
This comment was made amid statements by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who previously stated that he had asked Moscow to accelerate its decision-making on the restoration of Armenia’s railway sections leading to the border with Azerbaijan, as well as towards Azerbaijan and Turkey. But as the Armenian premier had noted, this does not include the railway section passing through Armenia’s southernmost Meghri city, which is planned to be implemented as part of the separate Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project.
Pashinyan had stated also that if the Russian side is unable to start this railway restoration in a short time, the Armenian government was ready to remove these railway sections from the aforesaid Russian concession management and carry out repairs at its own expense.
Answering a question about the TRIPP project, Maria Zakharova noted that Russia confirms its readiness to study possible options for participating in this initiative, including taking into account the unique experience of Russian Railways. She added, however, that it is first necessary to get familiarized with all aspects of this project’s implementation and operation, since, according to some information, its development is at the initial phase.
The Russian MFA spokesperson noted that Russia’s proposal to hold substantive consultations with Armenia, with the participation of all interested departments, remains valid.
