Russia has provided Armenia with all clarifications on the South Caucasus Railway concession, Russian foreign ministry says

Mikhail Kalugin, director of the Fourth CIS Countries Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said in an interview with TASS that Russia has clarified all points of concern to Armenia regarding the South Caucasus Railway (SCR) concession.

“This topic was discussed in detail during the negotiations between the leaders of Russia and Armenia on April 1. Clarifications were provided on all points of concern to the Armenian side, and an understanding was reached on the modalities of further work, including in the context of the Russian side’s participation in unblocking regional communications,” the diplomat stated.

He stressed that Moscow “took note of the statement by [Armenian Prime Minister Nikol] Pashinyan that the republic does not intend to discuss concession-related matters behind Russia’s back.”

“We cannot agree with the assertion that the management of Armenian railways by a Russian company in any way limits Armenia’s competitive advantages, on the contrary, we are convinced that it creates them,” Kalugin remarked. In his view, “had it not been for the painstaking work of the Russian side under the concession to restore and maintain the functionality of the railway network, it would be harder today to speak about Armenia’s prospects for participation in the ‘relaunch’ of transport arteries in the South Caucasus.”

Kalugin, the Russian Foreign Ministry department director, recalled that “since 2008, investments in Armenian railways have totaled around 30 billion rubles; in addition, approximately 15 billion rubles have been paid into the Armenian state budget, and part of the funds invested were directed toward rolling stock renewal.”

“Incidentally, one of the new trains, for the Yerevan–Gyumri route, was personally test-ridden by the Prime Minister alongside other representatives of the Armenian leadership,” Kalugin noted. He is confident that the SCR remains one of the republic’s largest employers, providing around 2,500 jobs.

“We see great potential for mutually beneficial joint work, one of the keys to which is the competent management of the Armenian railway network by Russian specialists,” the diplomat noted.