ASHKHABAD AGREEMENT OPENS LARGE WINDOW TO WORLD FOR ARMENIA
2007-12-11 12:51:00
ArmInfo. "The agreement recently signed in Ashkhabad between
the governments of Turkmenistan and Iran about cooperation on
construction of a new Uzen (Kazakhstan) – Kizyl-Kaya – Bereket-
Etrek (Turkmenistan) – Gorgan (Iran) railway will, undoubtedly,
contribute to facilitation of the feasibility study of Iran- Armenia
railway construction project", deputy Chairman of the parliamentary
Commission on economic issues Vardan Bostanjyan told ArmInfo.
He said that it is difficult to reevaluate the importance of two
railway projects to Iran for Armenia. "Our northern ways are limited
and, in essence, the project may become a large window to the world
for Armenia", the deputy said. He added that parallel fulfillment of
the two projects will enable Armenia to carry out a more intensive
exchange of goods not only with Iran but the Central Asian countries
and China a well. "It is not a secret that railway carriages are
the most cheapest in the world, so direct railway communication will
undoubtedly reduce the transit expenses on the way of the goods to
the Asian countries and intensify the trade relations", V. Bostanjyan
emphasized and added that the first fruits of implementation of the
railway projects will fall on the mining industry.
As ArmInfo was told in the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Armenia, the
total cost of Uzen- Gorgan railway project makes up $620 mln, its
length makes up 670 km, the supposed volume of carriages the first
year makes up 5,5 mln tons.
The diplomats expressed interest in construction of Iran-Armenia
railway, having informed that they have already held negotiations
with RA Ministry of Transport, considering the project implementation
prospects. They said that the Embassy set a task of increasing the
goods turnover between Armenia and Kazakhstan, and the transport
problem is the main obstacle today.