Iran seeks to re-open Tabriz-Julfa-Nakhchivan-Iran railway

Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Dec 21 2004

Iran is interested in reopening the Tabriz-Julfa-Nakhchivan-Iran
railway, Iranian Deputy Transport Minister Mohammad Seyidnejat told
the Iran News agency last week.

The closure of the railway as a result of the Armenia-Azerbaijan
conflict over Upper Garabagh, which broke out in 1990, caused damage
worth $2 billion to regional countries, he noted.

Seyidnejat said that 3 million tons of cargo had been transported
through the railway by the time it was closed.

“Iran is carrying out certain activities to reopen the railway,
but this is impossible due to the inaction of regional states.”

The Tabriz-Julfa-Nakhchivan-Iran railway was destroyed by Armenia
late in 1989-early in 1990.*