Armenia expects to carry out the restoration of railway sections leading toward Azerbaijan and Turkiye in cooperation with Russia, according to official statements from Yerevan.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that Armenia's Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, Davit Khudatyan, announced that negotiations are currently underway with the Russian side regarding the restoration of tracks in the Ijevan and Akhurik directions.
"We have an understanding that the restoration work in the mentioned areas will be realized with the direct participation of the Russian side,"the Minister noted.
This development follows recent instructions from Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to the "South Caucasus Railway" company for the urgent restoration of border railway sections. The project specifically covers the section from Yeraskh (Arazdayan) to the border with Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan, as well as the stretch from Akhurik to the border with Turkiye. Preliminary estimates suggest that official Yerevan plans to allocate approximately $500 million for the comprehensive repair of these strategic railway connections.
The restoration of these transport links is a key component of regional normalization efforts following the 2020 Garabagh War. The unblocking of economic and transport communications in the South Caucasus is a central tenet of the trilateral statements signed between Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia. By restoring these Soviet-era tracks, the region aims to integrate into larger international transit corridors, potentially connecting the Caspian Sea region with Turkiye and Europe, thereby enhancing the economic stability of the entire South Caucasus.
