By Lia Avagyan
Armenia has legal grounds to terminate the Russian concession to manage its railway network but would prefer Moscow to sell the management rights to a third country acceptable to both sides, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an interview with Infocom published on Tuesday.
“The legal grounds exist; the issue is a political decision,” Pashinyan said, adding that the necessary legal justification was already available if the government decided to terminate the agreement.
He did not specify those grounds. Asked whether Russia’s failure to meet investment commitments could provide such a justification, Pashinyan did not clarify the connection, reiterating that legal grounds for termination existed.
“We do not want to go down that path. We want to proceed amicably,” he said.
Pashinyan said the government had asked its Russian partners to sell the concession rights to a third country acceptable to both Armenia and Russia.
He gave no deadline for a Russian response, saying the government would not issue ultimatums.
Armenia’s railway network has been managed since 2008 by South Caucasus Railway, a subsidiary of Russian Railways. The 30-year concession runs until 2038. Armenia retains ownership of the infrastructure, while the operator is responsible for running and modernizing the network.
Pashinyan has previously discussed transferring the concession to a third party. In February, he named Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar as possible options. In September, he said Kazakhstan would be acceptable to Armenia, citing its developed railway infrastructure and experience investing in the sector. He was describing a potential arrangement, rather than announcing an agreement to transfer the concession.
The discussions are also linked to efforts to reopen regional transport connections and the U.S.-backed Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, or TRIPP. The project envisages a transport link across southern Armenia connecting mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhichevan exclave.
Pashinyan has previously warned that the main freight flows could continue from Nakhichevan directly into Turkey, bypassing the rest of Armenia’s railway network. He linked that risk to tensions between Russia and the West and concerns over sanctions.
In the Infocom interview, Pashinyan also criticized the condition of trains operating in Armenia. He said he had shown Russian partners photographs of the trains’ exteriors, interiors and toilets during discussions.
“This is disrespectful treatment of us,” he recalled telling them.
Pashinyan added that a new train had subsequently been brought to Armenia and that he had traveled on it to Gyumri.
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