Moscow doubts any country can replace Russian rail operator in Armenia

The Armenian authorities’ intention to replace Russia in managing the country’s railway system is an insufficiently thought-out decision that could cause the existing structure to “collapse overnight,” Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu said.

Speaking to Russian media, Shoigu stated that while he would not assess the capabilities of other countries in railway management, he was confident that no other company would be able to fully replace the Russian railway operator that has long worked effectively in Armenia under challenging conditions.

“I will not evaluate the competencies of other states in managing railway infrastructure, but I can confidently say that it is unlikely that any other company will be able to fully replace the Russian railway carrier, which has been operating efficiently in Armenia for a long time and in far from easy conditions,” Shoigu noted.

He also referred to earlier comments regarding Armenia’s plans for cooperation with the United States in the nuclear sphere, questioning whether such, in his words, “poorly elaborated decisions” could lead to similarly risky experiments that ordinary Armenian citizens would ultimately have to pay for.

“The system built over nearly two decades could simply break down overnight. Naturally, no ‘friendly countries’ will bear responsibility for this. I hope that when making important decisions, Armenia’s leadership will proceed exclusively from the interests of its citizens,” the Russian official added.

On February 13, it became known that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had proposed that the Russian side sell its railway concession in Armenia to a country maintaining friendly relations with both Moscow and Yerevan. Among the possible options he mentioned were Kazakhstan, United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

At the same time, Pashinyan stressed that Armenia has no objections toward Russia, but argued that the existing Russian concession creates “certain competitive disadvantages” for the republic.

By Tamilla Hasanova