Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergei Kopyrkin has described the terms of the concession agreement for managing Armenian Railways as exceptionally favorable for the Armenian side, speaking in an interview with Public Radio. He noted that the agreement itself was drawn up on terms that are exceptionally favorable for the Armenian side—possibly even unprecedentedly favorable.
According to the ambassador, he was impressed by the analysis of the concession's performance presented by the head of Russian Railways, including its efficiency indicators compared with railways in the region and in other countries beyond its borders. "The degree of the concession's efficiency, compared both with railways in the region and in other countries beyond it, was truly impressive to me," Kopyrkin said.
Turning to further cooperation, the diplomat said a working group has already been set up to discuss issues related to the concession. Within three months, it must find answers to the questions of interest to the Armenian side, taking into account the dynamics of regional processes, including in the transport and logistics sector. "Substantive work is under way," the ambassador stressed.
A delegation led by Russian Railways head Oleg Belozyorov met with members of the Armenian government on October 14. An agreement was reached to create a joint working group to discuss the formulated issues within a set, tight timeframe, find possible solutions and clarify further steps. After the meeting, Belozyorov said the question of maintaining the Armenian Railways concession was not on the table.
Recall that in February 2008, Armenia's railway infrastructure was handed over to Armenian Railways for concession management for 30 years, with the right to extend it for another 10 years.
The issue here is not only the text of the agreement, but how it is perceived by both sides. For the Armenian side, the "favorable" assessment comes from Moscow, and that in itself says something about where the guarantees are being sought. The three-month deadline is not long, given the rapid changes in the regional transport map.
Also noteworthy is Belozyorov's statement that the question of maintaining the concession is not on the agenda. This means the discussion is not about exiting the agreement, but about finding solutions within its framework. Exactly what issues interest the Armenian side has not yet been made public.
In the coming months, it is worth monitoring the transparency of the working group's work: if the discussions remain closed, the "favorable" assessment is unlikely to be taken seriously by the public.
