The Armenian prime minister, Nikol Pashinyan, announced earlier today (3 January), that Armenia and Azerbaijan were very close to beginning the construction and restoration of the Yeraskh-Julfa-Ordubad-Meghri-Horadiz railway.
Pashinyan said that the details of the railway, which will connect Armenia with Iran and Russia, and Azerbaijan with its exclave of Nakhchivan, had been discussed in Yerevan yesterday during a working visit of the deputy prime minister of Russia, Alexei Overchuk, and General Director of Russian Railways company, Oleg Belozerov.
The prime minister also announced that the first practical results of the working group consisting of the deputy prime ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia, were close to being achieved, which would help open communications in the region.
He noted that “we have already reached agreements on this topic, and the integral part of it is that we must build that railway and it should operate in the territory of Armenia within the Armenian legislation, in the territory of Azerbaijan within the Azerbaijani legislation, and yesterday’s visit, in fact, was directed to make it practical”. He added that “there is an agreement that the railway will operate under the jurisdiction of the country through which it will pass”, and that discussions on technicalities and funding had also begun.
In Yerevan it was also announced the rail operator on the Armenian side will be the Russian Railways company.