Moscow: Yerevan makes no official move on South Caucasus Railway concession

Armenia has not formally approached Moscow over the possible transfer of the concession to operate the South Caucasus Railway (SCR), Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk said.

“The issue itself has not been discussed in depth. There have been no official requests,” Overchuk told reporters.

His remarks came amid discussions over the future of the railway operator, which is currently managed by Russian Railways.

Overchuk also addressed Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s claims that Russian Railways could be considered “toxic” for Armenia because of sanctions imposed on Russia.

“Prime Minister Nikol Vovayevich [Nikol Pashinyan] tells us that, allegedly, Russian Railways is toxic for Armenia due to certain sanctions-related reasons. But Russian Railways transports cargo through Russian territory — transit cargo, for example, to Europe — and no one raises any questions about Russian Railways being toxic or subject to sanctions, except Pashinyan,” Overchuk noted.

By Vafa Guliyeva