RUSSIAN MANAGEMENT OF ARMENIAN RAILWAY TO ALLEVIATE "BLOCKADE"
by Vardan Grigoryan
Hayots Ashkharh
Jan 18 2008
Armenia
Russia takes up impressive obligations in the economic and trade
field as a result of the handover of the Armenian railways to the
Russian Railways for concessionary management. The prospects which
open up before the sides due to this economic transaction go beyond
the framework of serial investments projects and acquire important
political significance.
The reason is that the complex system called "railways" is a branched
network which goes beyond the borders of a country into the territory
of neighbouring states, and it is beyond our powers to reopen it.
However, the situation can change by involvement of the Russian side –
presenting us with political dividends along with a succeeded economic
transaction. Armenia’s railway continues to be the property of our
state, however the Russian Railways company will make large-scale
investments to modernize it, which can become even more large-scale
if the railway blockade of our country is eliminated.
However, operation of possible routes depends on overcoming certain
political obstacles, and here the issue of establishing Armenia-Iran
railway communication directly enters into the portfolio of
obligations, acquired by the Russian side.
Vladimir Yanukin, the chairman of the Russian Railways company has
already said: "Our project includes as an investment development of
the North-South transportation corridor, and active negotiations are
being held with the Iranian side – both from the point of view of
operation of this transportation corridor and of establishing and
developing an infrastructure in Iran".
It remains to hope that along with the obligations of concessionary
management, which of course will contribute to modernization of the
whole system of the Armenian railway, the Russian railway company
will have its important input also in construction of Armenia-Iran
railway. This will provide our countries with an opportunity to
implement foreign transportation to Enzeli [a port in Iran], Middle
East and Arabic countries.
However, we consider that the solution of the issue of "opening a
railway window" to Iran, cannot fully win over the sly project of
putting Armenia under a total railway blockade, which was developed by
Turkey and Azerbaijan, and with the first shelter of its implementation
being the construction of Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi railway.
[Passage omitted: description of the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi railway
route]
The Russian side- represented by the chairman of the Russian Railways
company, Vladimir Yanukin, so far seemingly refrains form commenting
on the ambitious projects of our neighbours, however stating that
"we will do everything that depends on us to stop the blockade of
the Armenian railways".
Starting from now, the blockade of the Armenian railways and its
isolation will be equivalent to the blockade of the businesses of its
concessionary – the Russian Railways company. Meanwhile it will be
impossible to implement the Azerbaijani-Turkish project of establishing
a "railway copy" of the Silk Road from Kars to the borders of China,
without using the Russian railways.
Finally, the mentioned railway system has to use
Baku-Makhachkala-Astrakhan section and the section leading to
Kazakhstan form there, which are controlled by the Russian Railways
company.
Even more- this Azerbaijani-Turkish project of "shifting" southwards
the major Eurasian transportation vein and of depriving big scales of
foreign transportation from the Russian railway operators is not at
all favoured by the Russian side. In the long run, the same cargoes
could be transported to Europe without entering the South Caucasus –
via Belarus or Ukraine or via Baltic harbours.
Thus, when the Russian Railways company enters solidly Armenia and
from there tries to establish connection with Iran’s and Middle East
networks, the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Baku-Russia-Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan -Turkey
railway project starts to be called to doubt not only from the
economic point of view but also from the point of view of geopolitical
expediency.
We believe that after the transfer of the Armenian railway system
to concessionary management by the Russian Railways company,
counterbalances, based on mutual dependence, are created, which can
abruptly decrease the profitability of the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi
railway, and in the future – make the restoration of the Armenia-Russia
railway communication inevitable.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
