Ara Papyan: railway through Azerbaijan is under construction
22.02.2016,
17:16
Construction of a railway through Azerbaijan will be more beneficial to Iran than through the territory of Armenia, Ara Papyan, the head of Modus Vivendi thin tank in Yerevan, said to a news conference today.
YEREVAN, February 22. /ARKA/. Construction of a railway through Azerbaijan will be more beneficial to Iran than through the territory of Armenia, Ara Papyan, the head of Modus Vivendi thin tank in Yerevan, said to a news conference today.
"From the financial point of view, construction of a railway through Azerbaijan would cost $400 million, while construction of a railway through Armenia is estimated to cost more than $3 billion", he said. Papyan said also that construction of a railway line through Azerbaijan has long been underway.
According to him, the complex terrain of the southern Armenia, which borders Iran, is another deterring problem.
Papyan said also that once the railway through Azerbaijan is built, Armenia would appear in a complete isolation. In this regard, he said, now is the time to make the international community realize the danger of this project for Armenia. The railway in question is supposed to connect Iran with Europe.
Last week Iranian ambassador to Armenia, Seyyed Kazem Sajjadi said a team of Iranian experts will visit Armenia in the near future to explore the technical possibilities for building a railway link from Iran to Armenia.
The agreement on the construction of the rail link was approved by Armenian and Iranian governments in 2009. In 2012, the Dubai-based Rasia FZE Investment Company was granted a 50-year concession by the Armenian government to build and manage the 305-kilometer railway from Armenia to Iran, to be named the Southern Armenian Railway (SAR).
By late 2013 Rasia FZE contracted the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) to develop a feasibility study for the project, estimated to cost $3.5 billion. The high cost is explained by mountainous terrain through which it is supposed to pass. Specifically, the 305 km-long railway will have 19.6 km-long 64 bridges and 60 tunnels of 102.3 kilometers.
The railway is to run from Gagarin station in Armenia’s Gegharkunik province to Agarak in southern Syunik and may transport up to 25 million tons of cargo a year.
According to an Armenian government statement, the Southern Armenia Railway will create the shortest transportation route from the ports of the Black Sea to the ports of the Persian Gulf and establish a major commodities transit corridor between Europe and the Persian Gulf region. -0-
"From the financial point of view, construction of a railway through Azerbaijan would cost $400 million, while construction of a railway through Armenia is estimated to cost more than $3 billion", he said. Papyan said also that construction of a railway line through Azerbaijan has long been underway.
According to him, the complex terrain of the southern Armenia, which borders Iran, is another deterring problem.
Papyan said also that once the railway through Azerbaijan is built, Armenia would appear in a complete isolation. In this regard, he said, now is the time to make the international community realize the danger of this project for Armenia. The railway in question is supposed to connect Iran with Europe.
Last week Iranian ambassador to Armenia, Seyyed Kazem Sajjadi said a team of Iranian experts will visit Armenia in the near future to explore the technical possibilities for building a railway link from Iran to Armenia.
The agreement on the construction of the rail link was approved by Armenian and Iranian governments in 2009. In 2012, the Dubai-based Rasia FZE Investment Company was granted a 50-year concession by the Armenian government to build and manage the 305-kilometer railway from Armenia to Iran, to be named the Southern Armenian Railway (SAR).
By late 2013 Rasia FZE contracted the China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) to develop a feasibility study for the project, estimated to cost $3.5 billion. The high cost is explained by mountainous terrain through which it is supposed to pass. Specifically, the 305 km-long railway will have 19.6 km-long 64 bridges and 60 tunnels of 102.3 kilometers.
The railway is to run from Gagarin station in Armenia’s Gegharkunik province to Agarak in southern Syunik and may transport up to 25 million tons of cargo a year.
According to an Armenian government statement, the Southern Armenia Railway will create the shortest transportation route from the ports of the Black Sea to the ports of the Persian Gulf and establish a major commodities transit corridor between Europe and the Persian Gulf region. -0-
