Databases & Analysis

Head of Russian Railways: Russian Railways Fully Fulfills Its Obligations Under the Concession Agreement with Armenia

Russian Railways consistently and fully fulfill their obligations under the concession agreement concluded with Armenia. This was reported to TASS by the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Russian Railways (RR), Oleg Belozerov.

According to him, thanks to the concession, Armenia received a modern railway system, and the republic's budget was relieved from expenses for its restoration and maintenance. Belozerov noted that JSC "South Caucasus Railway" has never paid dividends, and all profits were directed towards the development of the railway. He also stated that RR intends to continue complying with the terms of the railway concession with Armenia, and in case of changes to the conditions or termination of the concession, the company has the right to expect the return of invested funds. According to Belozerov, the "South Caucasus Railway" is one of the largest and most significant employers in Armenia.

He added that the total volume of investments made from the own revenues of RR and the South Caucasus Railway in 2008-2025 amounted to about 396.3 million dollars.
At the same time, the head of RR emphasized that the company was surprised and puzzled to learn from the press about the possible establishment of a fee for leasing railways in Armenia.

Earlier today, Pashinyan did not rule out the possibility of appealing to arbitration regarding the operation of the JSC "South Caucasus Railway," which is under RR concession. He added that the country's authorities had demanded nothing from the Russian side for 30 years, but now will demand 2 billion dollars per year for leasing Armenia's railways.

Recall that in February 2008, Armenia's railway infrastructure was transferred to concession management of the South Caucasus Railway for 30 years with the right to extend for another 10 years. 

Source: ArmInfo, https://finport.am/full_news.php?id=57120&lang=3 

primeminister.am

Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan delivered a speech at the "SCO+" format meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit held in Bishkek.

"Dear Mr. Chairman Sadir Japarov,

Dear Mr. Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations,

Your Excellencies,

Dear colleagues,

First of all, I would like to congratulate the President of Kyrgyzstan, Mr. Sadir Japarov, on the impressive opening of the 6th World Nomadic Games in the newly built "Bishkek Arena", as well as on the occasion of the effective chairmanship of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, as well as to thank him for his warm hospitality and the wonderful organization of this summit.

I would also like to congratulate everyone on the 25th anniversary of the founding of the SCO.

Dear colleagues,

The topic of our discussion today is: “The UN as a key element of a just world order: The contribution of the SCO+ states to the formation of a multipolar world.”

In my opinion, there is a great understanding among the international community that the world should be multipolar and that this is the most reliable way to ensure balance, that is, stability and peace.

How can a small state like Armenia contribute to the establishment of a multipolar world? We give a practical answer to this question, in essence, by conducting a multipolar foreign policy, which we call a balanced and balancing foreign policy.

The essence of this policy is as follows: when the gravity of one geopolitical pole becomes so heavy that it can undermine our independence, we activate our relations with another pole that has sufficient gravity for this situation in order to maintain our balance on the complicated path of sovereignty and independence.

The main goal of such a policy is to preserve and strengthen sovereignty and independence. And while developing these strategies, we came to the conclusion that it is impossible to have independence and sovereignty while living in conflict, and multipolarity in this sense should be expressed first of all in the region where you live.

This is the reason why, deepening our friendly relations with neighboring Iran and Georgia, we are going the way of building interstate relations with the other two neighbors, Azerbaijan and Türkiye, and this, of course, becomes more tangible thanks to the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan established on August 8 last year with the support and participation of US President Donald Trump.

Now we are working with Azerbaijan and Türkiye to open our interstate communications, including through the implementation of the TRIPP project, the practical implementation of which will begin on the ground in the coming months.

This will open up new transport opportunities not only from east to west, that is, from the Caspian Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, but also from south to north, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea. Thus, all countries in the region will benefit from the implementation of the project.

Returning to multipolar policy, I would like to note that in recent years Armenia has established strategic relations with Georgia, China, Kazakhstan, the USA, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania, and the European Union.

Our relations with India and Iran are actually strategic in nature, and we are now working on their documented formulation.

Today I will meet with the esteemed President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, to discuss the strategy for the further development of our relations.

Dear colleagues,

The Republic of Armenia shares the vision of a multipolar world.

Underlining the key role of the United Nations in building a multipolar world, I would like to inform you that in October of this year, under the auspices of the UN, the COP 17 Conference on Biodiversity will be held in Armenia, and I invite you all to participate in this important event that emphases the multipolarity of the world.

I thank you for your attention and wish Pakistan, which is assuming the chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, success in this responsible mission."

Source: https://www.primeminister.am/en/statements-and-messages/item/2026/09/01/Nikol-Pashinyan-Speech/

apa.az

President Ilham Aliyev: South Caucasus is becoming a zone of peace

“The South Caucasus is becoming a zone of peace,” President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said during his speech at the SCO Plus format meeting, APA’s correspondent dispatched to Bishkek reports.

“A little over a year ago, Azerbaijan and Armenia initialed the text of the peace agreement, putting an end to a 30-year conflict. Thus, the South Caucasus region, which was a long-standing conflict zone, is becoming a zone of peace,” the Azerbaijani leader noted.

source: https://en.apa.az/official-news/president-ilham-aliyev-south-caucasus-is-becoming-a-zone-of-peace-522416

civilnet.am

Mirzoyan says Russia remains ‘more than a strategic partner,’ calls for healthier ties

Russia remains “more than a strategic partner” to Armenia because existing treaties make the two countries allies, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said, while acknowledging problems in bilateral relations and calling for ties to be put on a healthier footing. “Russia, in legal, political and economic terms, is in fact more than a strategic partner of the Republic of Armenia,” Mirzoyan said. “We have treaties that make us allies, which is more than a strategic partnership.”

Mirzoyan made the comments in an interview broadcast on Armenia’s Public Television on Monday evening. The interview was recorded in Gyumri, where senior Foreign Ministry officials and the heads of Armenia’s diplomatic missions abroad are holding their annual gathering.

The minister was responding to a question about Armenia’s new 2026-2031 government program, which significantly changes the language used to describe relations with Moscow.

The previous five-year program referred to an “Armenian-Russian strategic alliance” and pledged to strengthen “allied relations and strategic partnership.” The new program instead speaks of the “transformation and deepening” of partnership with Russia and no longer uses the terms “allied relations,” “strategic partnership” or “strategic alliance.” 
Mirzoyan said the change in wording should not be interpreted as meaning that Russia was no longer Armenia’s ally.

He pointed to the two countries’ bilateral agreements, including obligations in the defense sphere, as well as their membership in the Eurasian Economic Union.

“We need to review certain aspects of our relations, make them healthier and return them to a course of mutual respect and respect for each other’s interests,” Mirzoyan said. “We believe our Russian partners should show greater respect for our right to make independent decisions,” he added.

Mirzoyan also criticized restrictions on Armenian exports to Russia, saying Armenia had fulfilled its obligations as a member of the Eurasian Economic Union and should enjoy the rights that come with membership.

He said restrictions based on problems identified in a particular shipment would be understandable, but questioned broader measures imposed before products had even reached the Russian market. “The apricot harvest had not even been collected when the import of apricots was banned,” he said. “This is not healthy. I can say even more: this is a violation of EAEU rules.”

Despite the disagreements, Mirzoyan said Yerevan did not want to escalate tensions or enter into a public exchange of accusations with Moscow. “We do not want to intensify this discussion or enter into a war of words,” he said. “We want to sit down in a constructive atmosphere, as friends, and resolve all the issues.”

Source: https://civilnet.am/en/news/1013898

Primeminister.am

Nikol Pashinyan and Vladimir Putin meet

A meeting between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Russian President Vladimir Putin took place in Bishkek.

President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin - Dear Nikol Vovayevich, dear friends, I am very glad to see you.

And, first of all, I will emphasize the main thing and I would like to start with this: we have always advocated and are advocating for the development of friendly, mutually beneficial relations with Armenia, based on the principles of strategic partnership and allied relations. We proceed from the fact that this corresponds to the fundamental interests of the Armenian people, the fundamental interests of Russia, and I will not even repeat it, we have repeatedly noted this with you, it also corresponds to the historical roots that connect our two peoples.

Russia is Armenia's main trade and economic partner, with a share of about 30 percent, and is also an investor in the Armenian economy. In the first half of the current year, the trade turnover amounted to 2.5 billion dollars.

Mutually beneficial projects are being implemented in the fields of industry and agriculture, mining, peaceful nuclear energy, transport, and the digital economy. Russian companies are the largest taxpayers of the Armenian budget, creating jobs, transferring modern technologies, and strengthening the country's energy security.

I would also like to note that we have already discussed with you many times the issues related to Armenia's declared intention to join the European Union. We have repeatedly touched upon this topic both during telephone conversations and in personal meetings.

You know Russia's position well. Armenia's aspiration to join the EU is the natural, legal right of the country and its people. Armenia is a sovereign state, and the Armenian people will determine the direction of their development. However, this certainly creates difficulties in terms of being in the Eurasian Economic Union and threatens to nullify the Republic's advantages in the Eurasian Economic Union market and disrupt the established trade chains.

Meanwhile, over the course of more than 10 years of participation in Eurasian integration processes, Armenia's GDP has almost tripled: in 2015 it amounted to $10.6 billion, and by 2025 it is $29.2 billion (at least according to our statistics). Exports to the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union have increased 10 times: today the union's market accounts for about 36% of Armenia's foreign trade turnover.

Therefore, of course, the people of Armenia should clearly express their opinion on the choice of the country’s future political and economic course, but at the same time, as we have been saying, it is important to approach the adoption of appropriate steps exclusively objectively, based on reality.

I repeat once again, we will treat any choice of the Armenian people with respect. As Armenia decides, so it will be. But we must align our trade and economic policy with these possible decisions, and we would like to ask you to bring clarity to this issue as soon as possible.

I remember that you publicly said that you consider it necessary to hold a referendum on this issue in the future, and I supported your position at the last summit of the heads of state of the Eurasian Economic Union, I directly mentioned that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan publicly announced this and I also asked our partners to support it. And the sooner we clarify, the better, because we also need to understand how to develop relations with Armenia, first of all, in economic terms.

Issues related to regulations, for example, related to agricultural products, the regulation of various technical norms and standards, do not coincide at all in the Eurasian Economic Union and the EU. We have repeatedly encountered this, attempts, even when our relations were more or less normal, to agree on some compromises with the Europeans did not lead to any results, any. They are quite tough negotiators, quite stubborn. And so we did not find an opportunity to resolve almost any issue.

At some point, we will probably still have to do this, taking into account the fundamental interests of both our economy and the European economy, which are in some ways complementary. I hope that all these crisis phenomena will pass one day. But even when they pass... Look, even when there were good relations with Europe, it was very difficult to reach an agreement. And in this regard, there will undoubtedly be problems with the penetration of European goods, services, etc. into our market through Armenia. There are thousands of questions there. We would like to understand what will happen in this area.

I hope that we will now discuss all these issues with you in a calm, friendly, businesslike atmosphere.

Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan - Thank you very much, Vladimir Vladimirovich. First of all, I am very happy for this meeting and this opportunity, because there are indeed many issues that need to be discussed.

First of all, I would like to confirm that we are interested in the further development and deepening of our relations with the Russian Federation.

It should also be noted that in recent years, the situation around Armenia and in our entire region has changed and it seems to us that we need to look at the situation from this perspective, because relations between Russia and Armenia had a different meaning in a conflict situation, and now, when peace has been established in the region, it seems to us that it is necessary to look at the situation with a fresh look.

And I think that this will contribute to the development of our relations, we mean the deepening and development of our relations, and this is very important.

You mentioned the Russian enterprises that operate in Armenia, and I must say, and today we were discussing this issue, that many Russian companies operate very successfully in the Republic of Armenia, they are highly profitable companies. You are right, they pay taxes, but the companies should also be divided into two parts. There are companies that operate successfully, that is, they are profitable and developing, but there are also companies that, unfortunately, are not profitable and are not developing. And this, I think, is a problem for both Armenia and the Russian Federation. This is also a question, these issues, these nuances should also be considered and discussed.

And regarding the EU, you know, this issue is being discussed a lot both at the working level and publicly. You know, last year we adopted the law on the launch of Armenia’s accession process to the European Union, and there is a lot of discussion about how the adoption of this law corresponds to the obligations we have undertaken within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union.

We have analyzed the existing contractual framework between the Russian Federation and Armenia, as well as the existing contractual framework within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union, both before and after that move, and, frankly, we have not found any violations of the obligations that Armenia has towards the Russian Federation and the Eurasian Economic Union, because the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union also directly states how to act if the country decides to withdraw from the Eurasian Economic Union.

By the way, there is no regulation there according to which a member state can be expelled from the organization. That is, it is stipulated there that if a country decides to withdraw from the Eurasian Economic Union, it must notify its partners about it in advance, six months in advance. I think we should look at this situation from this perspective.

At the moment, we have not notified our partners that we are going to withdraw from the Eurasian Economic Union. I think we should rely on this very fact, because the issue of a referendum has been discussed a lot in this regard.

Frankly speaking, the adoption of the law already meant a rejection of the idea of a referendum at that time, because if the parliament had not adopted this law at that time, I want to remind you that this law was initiated by civil society, that is, they, in accordance with the Constitution, collected signatures of Armenian citizens and submitted this draft to the parliament.

If the parliament had not adopted this law, the initiators could have collected another 250 thousand signatures, and if the parliament had rejected it this time too, we would have had to hold a referendum in the Republic of Armenia. In other words, by adopting this law, it turns out that we have abandoned the idea of a referendum.

And why did we refuse, because this issue, I had the opportunity to talk to you about it, had not yet matured to the level where it would be possible to formulate a question before our people.

Why did we adopt this law at all? First, in order not to hold a referendum, and secondly, as I have repeatedly said publicly, it is very important for us that our country and our people have alternatives. I think that this is a legitimate goal.

This does not mean that we are dissatisfied with the Eurasian Economic Union, although there are many working issues in the EAEU, we always discuss them, both strategic and tactical issues.

We simply believe that, especially in the current international situation, for any country, by the way, today we were also discussing this, the topic of the SCO summit was a multipolar world order, that is, it is considered a legitimate goal - to have alternatives for a state, a country.

We simply believe that, especially in the current international situation, for any country, by the way, today we were also discussing this, the theme of the SCO summit was a multipolar world order, that is, it is considered a legitimate goal, to have alternatives for a state, a country.

And this process is not directed against Russia, it is not directed against the Eurasian Economic Union, because we highly value our relations with the Russian Federation. Indeed, as you have already mentioned, it is so important for us, for our country. We hope that these relations are also important for the Russian Federation.

And I think that we should, both the Republic of Armenia, and the Russian Federation, and we personally, treat these relations very carefully. And I want to confirm that I, personally, and our Government, treat these relations very carefully and I am sure that you also treat these relations carefully and I want to thank you for that.

President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin - Dear Nikol Vovayevich, we will discuss with you now. I am always interested in holding discussions with you on any topic, including this one, but on the main issue, I will nevertheless allow myself to disagree with you.

You said that you have not announced your withdrawal. The adoption of the law on the start of the procedure for joining another economic organization essentially means an announcement of withdrawal from our organization, because being there and here at the same time is incompatible. That is the problem.

Well, let's discuss all this calmly now.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan — I think, and I am saying this publicly, that we understand that the time will come when it will be necessary to make a very clear choice. Simply our position is that at the moment that time has not yet come, we do not need it now, because, in fact, at the moment we have no alternative, that alternative has not actually been created.

When it is created, if it is created, then, of course, we will make a choice, through a referendum or without a referendum. Well, there are such mechanisms. I will be happy to continue this conversation with you and answer all your questions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin - I agree that the people should always have the opportunity to choose. Well, then create that opportunity and let's close the topic. That's it. Now the simplest thing is to turn to people and ask: what do you want, this way or that? And that's it.

Okay, now we will talk.

Source: https://www.primeminister.am/en/press-release/item/2026/09/01/Nikol-Pashinyan-Vladimir-Putin/ 

01.09.2026

Primeminister.am

The Prime Minister meets with US Senator Steve Daines

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met with the delegation led by US Senator Steve Daines in Bishkek.

The interlocutors highlighted the continued development of the Armenia-US strategic partnership in various directions.

Regional processes and developments were discussed. The role of the TRIPP project in unblocking and developing communications was emphasized. In this context, the sides exchanged ideas on the progress of the project implementation and upcoming programs.

Source: https://www.primeminister.am/en/press-release/item/2026/09/01/Nikol-Pashinyan-meeting-US-Senator/