Pashinyan Issues An Ultimatum To Russia

Armenia's prime minister said he might demand $2 billion a year from Russia for the lease of railways.

Armenia considers the “South Caucasus Railway,” which runs through its territory, to be its property, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan told reporters. The broadcast was hosted by News.am on YouTube.

“Armenia must be able to use this railway as it sees fit. I want to be very clear on this point: there is no alternative,” he said.

If legal disputes arise, the matter may be referred to arbitration.

“There’s a lot of talk right now—mostly from the opposition—about the possibility of price hikes for this or that. But it may turn out that, for something that was free in Armenia for 30 years, Armenia will start demanding $2 billion. I’m not hinting at the railroad; I’m saying outright that it is the property of the Republic of Armenia, and there is no other option,” Pashinyan added.

Armenia’s railway infrastructure is legally owned by the government of the Republic of Armenia but has been transferred to the management of the South Caucasus Railway (SCR), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Russian Railways (RZD). Management is carried out under a concession agreement. It was signed in 2008 and is valid for 30 years.
Earlier, Pashinyan spoke about the possibility of holding a referendum on joining the European Union.

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