Thursday, March 3 2022 18:03

ArmInfo.Armenia is starting field work on the Armenian section of the Yeraskh - Julfa - Ordubad - Meghri - Horadiz railway. The corresponding decision was made on  March 3 at the meeting of the RA government.

As Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructures Gnel  Sanosyan stated, the adopted project proposes to carry out work  before drawing up the terms of reference for the project on a section  of about 43 km of the Yeraskh-Meghri railway in order to conduct  geodetic studies on this section and, based on the results of the  studies, clarify the criteria by which further design work will be  ordered.

He noted that studies will be carried out on the appropriate section  in terms of tunnels, halls, stations, some sections of intersections,  etc. "Now there is a need for their professional assessment, we are  sending a specialized group to conduct research, an expert group,"  the Minister said. According to him, the group mainly consists of  scientists and specialists from the National University of  Architecture and Construction.  Two representatives of  "South-Caucasian Railway" CJSC (SCR) will work together with them.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that field work on the  Armenian section of the Yeraskh- Julfa-Ordubad-Meghri-Horadiz railway  is being started. "This is a very important event. I  would like to  express the hope that we will simultaneously consolidate de jure the  agreements that were reached during the trilateral meetings in Sochi  and Brussels in 2021. But until this moment, the work does not stop,  we work in parallel to rationally use time," he said.

In turn, Artashes Tumanyan, head of the working group of the  Armenia-Azerbaijan railway restoration program, noted that a  specialized group of 9 people, headed by the rector of the National  University of Architecture and Construction, will go to Meghri  tomorrow. Representatives of the SCR will join them on Monday. Within  two to three weeks, geodetic and geological studies will be carried  out, the results of a comprehensive study will form the basis of the  assignment and the project, he noted.

As the Prime Minister noted, all this can be considered within the  framework of the "Armenian Crossroads" program. Pashinyan also noted  the importance of carrying out work on the possible launch of  automobile communication. According to the prime minister, the issue  of integrating these routes with the North-South corridor is also  being discussed. "Field work has also been launched on this issue for  more specifics," he said.

On February 3, at a government meeting, RA Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan said that Yerevan is already discussing practical issues of  the construction of the Yeraskh-Julfa-Ordubad-Meghri-Horadiz railway.   According to Pashinyan, the parties are close to announcing the first  results of the work of the trilateral group. "We have already reached  agreements on this topic, an integral part of which is that we will  build this railway, and which will operate on the territory of the  Republic of Armenia within the framework of the legislation of the  Republic of Armenia, and on the territory of Azerbaijan within the  framework of the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan," the  prime minister said. At this stage, the terms of reference for the  road, its design, the start and financing of construction work are  already being discussed. "I would not like to anticipate events, but  if we continue this momentum, we can express confidence that the  realization of this opportunity will become realistic in the near  future," he said.

Earlier, RA Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, representing  Armenia in the trilateral working group, said that the construction  of a 45-kilometer railway in the Meghri section would cost about $200  million and take up to three years.