Russian Ambassador to Armenia Sergey Kopyrkin has described the concession agreement governing Armenia’s railways as exceptionally favorable to the country.
In an interview with Public Radio, Kopyrkin said he was impressed by performance figures presented by Russian Railways chief Oleg Belozyorov, particularly comparisons with railway systems in other countries, Sputnik Armenia reported.
“The concession agreement itself was drafted on terms that are exclusively favorable to the Armenian side, perhaps even unprecedentedly favorable,” the ambassador said, also praising its reported efficiency.
Kopyrkin said a joint working group had been established to examine issues raised by Armenia and seek solutions within three months. The discussions will also consider changes in regional transport routes and logistics infrastructure.
The group was established following an October 14 meeting between Armenian government representatives and a Russian Railways delegation led by Belozyorov.
Armenia transferred management of its railway infrastructure to South Caucasus Railway in February 2008 under a 30-year concession agreement, with an option to extend it by another 10 years.
