ARMENIA ORDERS NEW TRAINS, READY FOR OPEN BORDER

AZG DAILY
16-09-2009

International

The Armenian administration has ordered three trains from a Polish
train factory which are reportedly planned to be used when the railway
between Turkey and Armenia resumes operations, upon the opening of
the border between the two estranged neighbors, Polish Radio Merkury
has reported.

The Armenian Ambassador in Warsaw, Ashot Galoyan, visited the factory
and signed an agreement with the managers for the new trains, which
clearly indicated Armenian hopes for the opening of the borders,
the daily reported. Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza also argued that
the recent orders from Armenia would help the company to overcome the
negative effects of the global economic crisis. Although the company
had decided to dismiss many workers, the order for three trains will
protect the workers’ jobs.

Yerevan wants the railway between Kars and Gyumri reopened
after the necessary restoration and repairs are done. In previous
months, Alexander Kuznestov, the general director of Russian South
Caucasus Railways (SCR), stated that they are ready to provide rail
transportation between Kars and Gyumri. In his statements in the
Armenian press, he said that if Yerevan and Ankara would approve the
project (opening of the railway), they would offer rail transportation
between the two countries through the Ahurian-2 rail station. He also
stated that with that project, passenger and cargo transportation
would be possible with these countries.

On Aug. 31, Ankara and Yerevan announced that after talks that have
been continuing under Swiss mediation they have decided to launch
an internal consultation process on both sides before signing two
protocols aiming to normalize relations by opening the closed border
between the two countries and re-establishing diplomatic ties after
16 years, Turkish Zaman reports.