RUSSIANS PLAN TO RESTORE RAILWAY COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ARMENIA AND TURKEY AND AZERBAIJAN
Lragir
Jan 10 2008
Armenia
On January 10 the minister of communication and transport Andranik
Manukyan stated in a briefing that the Russian Railways which is the
only tenderer for the Armenian Railways and will most probably win
the tender, plans to restore railway communication with Turkey and
Azerbaijan in 2009-2010.
The minister says in 2009 the Russian company plans to restore
communication between Armenia and Turkey and in 2010 with Azerbaijan.
The minister repeated that the Russian manager plans to invest about
600 million dollars in the Armenian railway infrastructure, and as
soon as the blockade of Armenia is lifted, the investments will reach
21 billion 100 million dollars. Andranik Manukyan says according to
the bid package, the Russian company bids one-time payment of 1.7
million dollars to the government of Armenia. Andranik Manukyan says
the bid is under consideration.
He says the Russian company’s bid for the concession is favorable,
and as soon as the Russian Railways takes up the management of the
Armenian railway, it will improve the state of the railway, repairing
the dangerous parts of the rails in the north of Armenia, replacing
the trains, the infrastructure, build new rails, modernize and boost
cargo shipment capacity.
At the same time, the railways remain the property of Armenia,
Andranik Manukyan explained. He says Armenia thinks the management
by the Russian company will be more effective than by the ministry
which now controls the Armenian railways, ARKA reports.
The result of the tender will become known on January 15. The only
tenderer is the Russian Railways which will win the tender. An Indian
company had also bid for concession but it stopped halfway.