18:01, 9 February, 2022
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime MInister Nikol Pashinyan highlights the de jure registration, signing on thepaper of agreements reached in Brussels on the construction, rehabilitation of Yeraskh-Julfa-Ordubad-Meghri-Horadiz railway. Pashinyan has already set up a working group to organize the construction of the railway, ARMENPRESS reports Pashinyan said during a question-and-answer session with the members of the government in the National Assembly, referring to the question of "Civil Contract" faction MP Gevorg Papoyan.
Papoyan reminded that in December 2021, during the trilateral meeting with the President of the European Council Charles Michel and the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, an agreement was reached on the resumption of railway communication between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The MP inquired about the developments in that direction, as well as in the process of unblocking the roads.
Nikol Pashinyan reminded that he had announced that an agreement had been reached on the construction and restoration of the Yeraskh-Julfa-Ordubad-Meghri-Horadiz railway. "Immediately after returning, I gave relevant instructions. I have also set up a working group, which is already engaged in organizing the construction of the railway," said the Prime Minister.
Recently, Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Mher Grigoryan met in Yerevan with the Russian Co-Chair of the Trilateral Working Group Alexei Overchuk and the Head of the Russian Railways Company. "We are already discussing the financing of the technical part, design and construction of the railway," Pashinyan said.
However, in the meantime, there is an important action that, according to Pashinyan, should be done. This is a de jure recording of the agreements reached in Brussels. “I mean, either bilaterally or trilaterally, or in whatever format, it should become an agreement, be recorded on paper and signed. We have agreed that the railway should operate in accordance with international rules, within the framework of the legislation and sovereignty of the countries, which means that border, customs and other controls should be exercised at the border crossing points. And we have to agree on the parameters in order to build a railway with the same parameter, because those railways have to merge each other. It will become a route for international cargo transportation. And all this is very important for us to de jure register as soon as possible, to sign it”, Pashinyan said.
As for the roads, he said that basedon the results of the meetings in Brussels and Sochi, proposals were made, which were conveyed to the Azerbaijani side, as well as to Russian partners and international partners. "And as soon as we receive a positive response from Azerbaijan, we are ready to carry out the process of restoration and construction of road routes," PM Pashinyan said.
