ArmInfo. Discussions with the Russian side regarding the transfer of the concession for Armenian railways are ongoing, and the process has not reached a dead end. Armenian Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure David Khudatyan stated this on October 16 in a conversation with journalists on the sidelines of the COP17 leaders' summit, which is taking place in Yerevan under the motto "Leaders for Nature."
Regarding allegations that following a meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian Railways (RZD) CEO Oleg Belozerov, the parties failed to reach an agreement on the transfer of the concession for Armenian railways, Khudatyan noted that the existence of an active working group indicates that the discussions are ongoing. According to him, the Armenian side presented its needs in the area of rail transport to its Russian partners and also spoke about the importance of the railway, given the changes taking place in the region.
"The working group has been tasked with presenting a proposal that will meet Armenia's needs. The group will conduct the relevant work, we will see its results, and based on them, we will move forward," the minister explained.
Regarding the question of whether the implementation of the Trump Route (TRIPP) could be jeopardized by the situation surrounding the railway concession, Khudatyan emphasized that these issues are unrelated. According to him, there is no reason to believe that the TRIPP project will not be implemented. "Armenia is completing the necessary documentation and intends to begin construction work in the near future. Furthermore, a working visit is planned for a more detailed discussion of issues related to the project's infrastructure. The railway network is interconnected across the globe, and the operation of one section benefits others. Therefore, I repeat: nothing threatens the implementation of TRIPP, and we are moving towards its implementation," Khudatyan stated.
He also ruled out any such disagreements regarding the TRIPP project with the Azerbaijani side. "TRIPP is the result of the signing of the relevant document between Armenia and the United States, and in this context, no problems with the project's implementation arise. Work is ongoing, and the paperwork is in the final stages. We plan to begin construction in early 2027," the minister concluded.
It is worth noting that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan first voiced the proposal to sell Russia a railway concession on February 13. Then, in a conversation with journalists, he stated that Russia's concessionary management of Armenia's railways creates competitive problems for Armenia, and many international partners want to bypass Armenian territory when implementing infrastructure projects. In this vein, he suggested that Russia consider selling the concession to a third, friendly country. He suggested Kazakhstan, the UAE, or Qatar as examples.
Russia called Pashinyan's statements groundless and stated that it does not intend to sell the concession for Armenian railways.
As a reminder, South Caucasus Railways CJSC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Russian Railways OJSC. On February 13, 2008, a concession agreement was signed in Yerevan between Russian Railways OJSC and the Republic of Armenia transferring the republic's rail transport system to the management of South Caucasus Railways CJSC. According to the agreement, the concession management term is 30 years, with the right to extend it for another 10 years after the first twenty years of operation by mutual agreement of the parties. The responsibilities of South Caucasus Railways CJSC: include the modernization of the RA railway infrastructure, the development of cooperation with states neighboring Armenia, and the development of domestic and international passenger and freight traffic. The amount of investments made by the Company is $572 million. CJSC "SCR" began its activities on June 1, 2008.
