Tuesday, January 26 2021 15:31

ArmInfo. The construction of the railway, which will connect Russia and Armenia through Azerbaijan, will be a huge step for Armenia and, in fact, a way out  of the cargo blockade, transport expert, General Director of Infra  Projects LLC Alexey Bezborodov told RIA Novosti.

Earlier on Tuesday, RBC, citing sources of the governments of Russia  and Armenia, wrote that the deputy prime ministers of these countries  and Azerbaijan plan to discuss the construction of transport links in  the South Caucasus in Moscow on January 27. According to the  newspaper, the discussion will focus on several possible projects, in  particular, the construction of a railway through Armenia, which will  connect Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan, as well as Armenia and Russia.  Russia and Armenia now have no direct rail links. It was previously  carried out through Georgia, but was stopped due to the situation  with Abkhazia. "From the point of view of Armenia, this (the  construction of a railway between Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, Ed.  note), of course, is a huge step, a way out, in fact, from the cargo  blockade," Bezborodov said.  Russian Railways, through its subsidiary  company, South Caucasus Railway, manages the railway infrastructure  of Armenia, while not having a direct connection with this country.  Bezborodov assessed what the construction of a new road would give  Russian Railways. "There is a plus for Russian Railways: they will be  connected to their concession enterprise," the expert said.

In his opinion, in theory, the construction of the road will lead to  the development of trade between Russia and Turkey. "But so far the  containerized route through Novorossiysk is several times faster,  quieter and cheaper," Bezborodov noted.

After trilateral talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin,  Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan on Karabakh, the leaders signed a joint statement on the  development of the region. It provides for the creation of a special  working group, which will be chaired by the deputy prime ministers of  the governments of the three countries. In particular, the working  group of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan on the development of  Nagorno-Karabakh by March 1 of this year must submit to the leaders a  schedule for the restoration and construction of new transport  infrastructure facilities for international transport.