IRANIAN ENVOY HIGHLIGHTS STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF IRAN-ARMENIA RAILWAY

ArmInfo
2009-06-04 13:19:00

ArmInfo. The Iran-Armenia railway is a project of great strategic
importance not only for the two states but also for the whole region,
Iran’s ambassador to Yerevan said on Wednesday, IRIB reported.

Iranian Ambassador to Armenia Seyed Ali Saqqaiyan declared that the
railway can be used, for among other things, cargo transportation.

"Besides that we expect the investors to display interest in the
project and Russia seems keen on participating in the implementation
of the project," the Ambassador noted.

Armenia and Iran formalized their plans to construct the railway
connecting the two neighboring countries in April when Armenian
President Serzh Sarkisian signed an agreement to that affect on his
visit to Tehran.

Experts and specialist are now discussing different options for the
direction of the railway, Ali Saqqaiyan said.

According to early estimates, $2 billion of investment is needed
for the construction of the railway. The World Bank and the Asian
Development Bank have already signaled interest in the project.