RUSSIA REALIZES POLITICAL IMPORTANCE OF AGREEMENT

Lragir
Feb 13 2008
Armenia

On February 13 the Armenian minister of transport and communication
Andranik Manukyan, and the head of the Russian Railways Vladimir
Yakunin and the general manager of the South Caucasian Railways
Company Alexander Kuznetsov signed the agreement on the concession
of the Armenian Railways to the South Caucasian Railways. The Russian
Railways is a guarantor of the concession.

The minister of transport and communication Andranik Manukyan said
the Russian party has committed to investing 570 million dollars over
thirty years, half of which will be invested in the first five years.

"We realize that although we signed an agreement on railways, in
reality it is an agreement between the Russian Railways and the
Armenian government. Therefore, we realize the political importance
of this agreement and we realize the responsibility that the parties
of the agreement assume," Yakunin said. He said hopeful that this
agreement will be followed by other similar agreements which will
unite not only railway systems but also nations, governments and
hearts, ARKA reports.