Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, in an interview with TASS, warned Armenia of serious consequences in case of the sale of its railway concession management.

"As a result of the proposed sale of the South Caucasus Railway [company’s] concession [management], the Armenian railway will not only lose Russian cargo, but also, most likely, will lose its relations with Russian Railways [company],” Overchuk said.

“Given the factors affecting the competitiveness of shipping in the Caspian Sea, significant cargo transportation from Central Asian countries to Armenia and Turkey and vice versa will pass through the Russian Federation. We just need to be able to see a little further and predict how events will develop, especially when it comes to long-term investments, such as port infrastructure and railways," the Russian deputy PM noted.