Pashinyan and Putin meet in Russia, discuss restoration of Armenia’s railways
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday during his official visit to Russia. In a tête-à-tête meeting, Pashinyan said that the ‘moment has come for the restoration’ of several railway sections linking Armenia with neighbouring Turkey and Azerbaijan’s exclave of Nakhchivan.
Pashinyan arrived in Russia on 21 December to attend a session of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council (EAEU) in St. Petersburg. The next day he also took part in an informal summit of heads of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) member states held at the city’s Hermitage Museum.
Arshaluys Barseghyan
Talking about bilateral issues, Putin also touched upon the ‘logistics sector’ during his one-on-one meeting with Pashinyan.
‘During our previous meeting, you raised various issues that we can work on together, including the restoration of old routes and the creation of new routes that will open the borders of Armenia. So, in general, everything is going well’, Putin said.
In turn, Pashinyan reiterated that peace had been achieved between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which, according to him, ‘will open up new opportunities for the further development of bilateral relations between Armenia and Russia’.
‘And this has already happened, because trains from Russia are already going to Armenia through the territory of Azerbaijan, which, I think, is a truly historic event. And, as you have already mentioned, new opportunities are opening up. The moment has come for the restoration of some other railway sections in our country’, Pashinyan said.
In particular, Pashinyan mentioned two railway sections neighbouring the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan and the Turkish border, pointing at the ‘fairly active’ ongoing normalisation process with the two states.
‘I cannot say that there are already political decisions on the reopening of these railways. But I think that the situation has matured to the point that it is necessary to carry out preparatory work’, Pashinyan said.
Arshaluys Barseghyan
Earlier this week, Pashinyan revealed he had asked Russia, which manages Armenia’s railways, to ‘urgently address’ the full restoration of railway sections adjacent to Nakhchivan and the Turkish border.
In 2008, a 30-year concession agreement was signed, stipulating the transfer of the Armenian railway system to the ‘South-Caucasian Railway’ CJSC created by Russian Railways.
‘Symbolic steps’ are in prospect
Pashinyan’s request for railway restoration comes amid reports since early December suggesting that the Armenia–Turkey land border could be reopened. Earlier in the month, Bloomberg reported, citing sources, that Turkey is considering reopening its land border with Armenia ‘in the next six months’.
Arshaluys Barseghyan
Despite a 2022 agreement to allow third-country citizens and diplomats to cross the land border, Turkey has kept the border closed since 1993 and has linked its opening to progress in the Armenia–Azerbaijan peace process.
Again on Monday, the Turkish media outlet Yeşil Iğdır reported that ‘preparations begin for the opening of the Alican Border Crossing [with Armenia]’.
The media outlet noted that as part of the normalisation process between Turkey and Armenia, ‘efforts to open border crossings have accelerated’.
In addition, Yeşil Iğdır clarified that the land border crossing was ‘planned to be opened initially for freight transport via the Margara Bridge, and later to serve passenger crossings’.
Earlier in December, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan hinted at upcoming positive development in Armenia–Turkey normalisation process.
‘God willing, some symbolic steps will be taken from the beginning of next year’, Erdoğan said in his speech at the 16th Congress of Turkish Ambassadors on 16 December.
Erdoğan underscored that they were advancing the normalisation process with Armenia ‘in dialogue with Azerbaijan’ and that Azerbaijan and Armenia ‘are closer than ever’ to signing a peace agreement.
