RA PRIME MINISTER TIGRAN SARGSYAN RECEIVED NEWLY APPOINTED GENERAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SOUTH CAUCASIAN RAILWAY CJSC SHEVKET SHAIDULLIN

M onday, 2 February 2009

RA Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan received newly appointed
General Executive Director of South Caucasian Railway CJSC Shevket
Shaidullin. To begin with, Tigran Sargsyan congratulated Mr. Shaidullin
for his appointment to this post of high responsibility. Then,
the parties discussed a broad range of topical issues. Tigran
Sargsyan noted that recently the holder of the Armenian railways’
concession has been criticized not only by the representatives of
business circles, but also on the part of the general public. The
problem has been addressed during high-level meetings held with
South Caucasian Railway’s former president Vladimir Yakunin, RF
President Dmitry Medvedev in Yerevan and with RF Prime Minister
Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Responding to the questions raised and
evoking the remedies, Mr. Shaidullin underscored that the Company
has embraced a new partnership policy which implies that in addition
to being an investing entity, the Company will henceforth design
nationwide railway networks and develop projects on the integration
with the European transportation networks. Mr. Shaidullin assured
that the contractual obligations assumed by his company shall be
complied with. Effective cooperation is maintained with the Armenian
ministry of transport and communi cation. Nevertheless, additional
arrangements need to be signed with local stakeholders. Currently a
social-economic agreement is being drafted through joint efforts.

In turn, Tigran Sargsyan said the Government of Armenia will provide
necessary assistance to speed up the pace of north-south railway
line construction.