Thanks to its advantageous geographical location, Armenia can integrate into the international transport corridors "North-South", India-Europe, "One Belt, One Road", and the Persian Gulf-Black Sea. According to Ruzanna Malkhasyan, Chairperson of the Commission for the Development of Armenian-Chinese Economic Relations, this requires the implementation of a large-scale project for the Southern Railway and the modernization of existing Armenian routes, ensuring a full East-West and North-South connection through the country's territory.
The Southern Railway project, with a length of 305 km, 64 bridges, and 60 tunnels, will allow the annual transportation of up to 25 million tons of cargo between the Gagarin and Agarak stations, reducing existing routes by 44 km. It will provide a direct connection between the ports of the Black Sea and the Persian Gulf, creating an economically efficient transport corridor with the participation of Russia, China, and Iran, and will become part of the global supply chain.
Malkhasyan notes that the existing Zangezur road does not provide a full unblocking and serves narrow interests, while the integration of the Southern Railway and other transport projects will create a basis for long-term peace in the region, economic development, and stable interaction between SCO countries, strengthening global interests and preventing geopolitical tensions.
