Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has addressed reports regarding potential investors willing to pay $400 million for the concession of the country's railway network.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, Pashinyan stated during a briefing that no investor has yet submitted a formal, written proposal to pay this amount. "Work processes are ongoing. As of now, no one has provided a written commitment or offer to pay $400 million, although such discussions exist at a verbal level. We are currently conducting assessments regarding the value of this asset," Pashinyan noted.
The issue of reviewing the existing Russian concession for Armenian railways has gained prominence against the backdrop of regional infrastructure plans, including the potential restoration of railway lines connecting to Azerbaijan and Turkey. The Armenian government has indicated a willingness to finance the reconstruction of these sections independently. Furthermore, Yerevan has explored the possibility of transferring the concession to a "friendly third country," such as Kazakhstan, the UAE, or Qatar. While Yerevan has expressed openness to transferring management to a Kazakh company, Russian Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin has stated that Moscow is not currently engaged in any negotiations regarding such a transfer.
