Afət Ziyadqızı
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, accompanied by the leadership of the country's diplomatic corps, has visited the "Akhurik" border crossing located on the frontier with Turkey.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, which cited the press service of the Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the visit took place within the framework of the annual working meeting of Armenian diplomats.
During the visit, the delegation inspected the "Akhurik" border crossing and the "Akhuryan" station of the "Gyumri-Kars" railway. Discussions focused on the significance of restoring and operationalizing this railway line, as well as the progress of ongoing infrastructure projects in the region.
The restoration of railway connections, particularly those extending toward Azerbaijan and Turkey, remains a significant topic on the Armenian political agenda. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has previously announced government initiatives to reconstruct a 1.6-kilometer railway section in the "Yerasx-Nakhchivan" direction and a 12.4-kilometer section from the village of "Akhurik" to the Turkish border.
Furthermore, Pashinyan has proposed reviewing the concession agreement signed with Russia regarding the management of Armenian railways. He has not ruled out the possibility of transferring management to entities from countries such as Kazakhstan, the UAE, or Qatar. While Yerevan officials have indicated they would not oppose transferring railway management to a Kazakhstani company, provided there is consent from the Russian side, the Russian Ministry of Transport has stated that no negotiations on this matter have taken place.
