IRAN, ARMENIA EXCHANGE VIEWS ON CONNECTING RAILROAD NETWORKS

IRNA
Jan 15, 2009
Tehran

Armenian Deputy Minister in Transportations and Connections in a
meeting with Iran’s Railroad Managing Director conferred and exchanged
views on how to connect two countries’ railroad networks.

In the meeting, Hassan Ziari told his Armenian counterpart that the
project is among the important ones for both government and nations .

He added that the total length of the project is around 540 kilometers
480 kilometers of which is in Armenian territory and the other
60 kilometers in Iran, so if the Armenia would coplete and put to
use its part, Iran, too, would implement its own part in shortest
possible time.

Ziari also announced Iran’s readiness to sell or lend train wagons
to Armenia.

The Armenian Deputy Minister Biglarian, for his part, said that the
technical and financial studies of the project have been completed
by Armenian side and the Iranian officials, too, have presented their
report on their own study of the matter.

He added that the final study on the project would be done by an
Austrian company which will end the next month.

On financial sources of the project, Biglarian said that the Armenian
Government would provide 50 percent of the expenses, adding, "We
expect Iran to provide 25 percent of the expenses in the framework
of an inter-governmental loan."