YEREVAN, September 1. News-Armenia. The authorities of Armenia have not officially refused anything in their cooperation with Russia. This was stated by Russian Minister of Transport Andrey Nikitin in response to a question from the news agency Vesti regarding Armenia's possible refusal of strategic partnership with Russia in the field of railway transportation.
"They are not formally refusing anything. They make statements all the time, but there are no actual refusals - we are working as we have been," said Nikitin.
Pointing to the continued work of Russia with Armenia, Nikitin added that all obligations are being fulfilled.
The day before, in an interview with OTA, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan stated that Armenia would find a solution regarding the concession management of the republic's railway network in such a way as to realize its transit potential without infringing on the interests of Russian partners.
Armenia's plans for the South Caucasus Railway
In February 2026, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan did not rule out the possibility of Russia transferring the management rights of the Armenian railway to another country friendly to both Armenia and Russia, particularly Qatar, the UAE, or Kazakhstan.
He also stated that within the framework of the TRIPP project, several countries are proposing to organize railway communication between Nakhchivan and the main territory of Azerbaijan bypassing Armenia, noting that the Armenian railway is under the management of a Russian company. According to him, because of this, "Armenia is losing its competitive advantage."
On July 30, Pashinyan allowed for financial claims of $2 billion against Russia in the context of the concession of the South Caucasus Railway. According to him, the railway is the property of Armenia, and the republic has the right to use any legally provided mechanisms, including arbitration. At the same time, Pashinyan stated that Yerevan hopes to resolve the issue in a friendly format through dialogue with the Russian side.
Later that same day, the head of Russian Railways Oleg Belozerov stated that Moscow intends to adhere to the terms of the concession agreement and, in the event of its termination or modification by Armenia, expects the return of invested funds.
According to the Russian side, more than 30 billion rubles have been invested in the railway system of Armenia since the beginning of the concession.
