YEREVAN. - Iran isn’t abandoning the railway construction plan with Armenia.

Armenia’s Energy Minister Yervand Zakharyan stated the aforementioned in the parliament today, responding to the question of Lyudmila Sargsyan. 

On January 20, Armenia’s Transport Minister Gagik Beglaryan visited Iran, where he signed with his Iranian counterpart a memorandum on creating a railway link between the two countries.   

“I don’t think that such a powerful state like Iran, which is now free of sanctions, would sign a memorandum and abandon it in a month.  This issue remains on the agenda of both Iran and Armenia,” Zakharyan said.

Ashot Shahnazaryan, director of the “Railway Construction Dirctorate” CJSC of the Ministry of Transport, earlier told Armenian News – NEWS.am correspondent that the period of the railway construction would take 6 years, while the pay-off period and exploitation would last 18 and 50 years respectively. The construction may cost about $3,5 billion.

Nevertheless, the estimates related to Meghri-Sevan route, while the original route to Yeraskh (Ararat province) is discussed now too.