Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that the republic does not exclude the possibility of returning the management of railways on its territory, leading towards Azerbaijan and Turkey, from the Russian concession. According to him, this option will be considered if difficulties arise with the restoration of infrastructure.
Pashinyan said that he had asked his Russian colleagues to reconstruct the railway sections to the borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey as soon as possible. This issue was also discussed at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The head of the Armenian government expressed hope that the work would be completed as quickly as possible.
If obstacles arise during the restoration process or the Russian side experiences difficulties, Armenia is ready to take the initiative and finance the restoration at the expense of state funds. Currently, the country's railway system is managed by the "South Caucasus Railway" company, which is a subsidiary of Russian Railways and operates under a concession agreement concluded in 2008 for a period of 30 years with the possibility of extension.