Pashinyan: Talks with Russia on railway ongoing — Anadolu Agency
Armenian Prime Minister Նիկոլ Pashinyan said in Yerevan on September 17 that negotiations with the Russian Federation — an aggressor state — on the concession management of the country’s railway are ongoing. According to Anadolu Agency, citing Armenpress, he said that the situation surrounding the issue had not changed.
Concession negotiations
Pashinyan described the matter as sensitive and stressed that the railway network is Armenia’s property and that the country must be able to manage it at its own discretion. According to him, Yerevan has not set a deadline for resolving the issue, is discussing it alongside other topics, and seeks to find a solution as soon as possible and in a friendly manner.
Armenia’s railway network is operated by South Caucasus Railway, a company owned by Russian Railways. The company operates under a 30-year concession agreement concluded in 2008. Armenia believes that the agreement deprives the country of certain competitive advantages, while Moscow has accused the West of “blackmailing” Yerevan over the issue.
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Pashinyan also said that after agreements reached with Russian President Vladimir Putin during talks on August 31 in the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Yerevan continues to assess its relations with Moscow in order to determine their components.
Russian base in Gyumri
Pashinyan reiterated that Armenia would not object to the withdrawal of the Russian military base from Gyumri if Moscow independently made such a decision. He noted that the base is not of vital importance to Armenia’s security and that Armenian officials had not raised the issue of its withdrawal with the Russian side.
On September 2, Putin said that the presence of the base was Armenia’s sovereign decision and that Russia could withdraw it if Yerevan considered this necessary. The following day, Pashinyan said that Armenia had not raised the issue of withdrawing the military facility with Russia.
