Zhoghovurd newspaper of Armenia writes as follows, in particular: On the one hand, [PM] Nikol Pashinyan declares that Armenia has no problem with the Russian concession [management of Armenia’s railway network], on the other hand, he talks about changing the format of railway management and transferring management to third countries. And the Russian side insists that it is ready to work within the framework of the current agreement.

In the end, what will be the fate of the Armenian railway?

The study of Zhoghovurd daily shows that the discussions between Yerevan and Moscow on Armenia’s railway have entered a new phase, but at this point it is still too early to talk about a final solution.

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(...) the issue is not only about the technical repair of the railway. The question is also who and under what conditions should manage Armenia’s railway infrastructure so that it can fully participate in regional and international transport communications.

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At the moment, the most important result is the creation of an Armenian-Russian working group. Within three months, the parties should try to answer the main question: how to ensure the competitiveness of the Armenian railway and what management model could be most effective for this.

But it is still unclear whether Russia will agree to such a change in the management format that would involve third countries, or whether the parties will try to resolve the issue under the conditions of the current concession [management].

Pashinyan emphasizes that he wants to resolve the issue in a friendly atmosphere. At the same time, his statements show that Armenia’s authorities associate the future of the railway not only with the effectiveness of the current management system, but also with new opportunities for unblocking communications in the region.

Therefore, the main question remains open: in three months, will Armenia have a new model of railway management, or will discussions around the Russian concession [management] continue without significant changes?