January 26, 2021 - 10:41 AMT
RBC: Yerevan, Moscow, Baku to discuss rail options through Armenia

The vice-premiers of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are planning to meet in Moscow on Wednesday, January 27 to discuss the construction of transport links in the South Caucasus, RBC reports citing two sources in the governments of Russia and Armenia.

Alexey Overchuk will take part in the negotiations from the Russian side, Mher Grigoryan from the Armenian side, from Shahin Mustafayev from the Azerbaijani side, the Russian diplomatic source said.

The parties agreed to create such a negotiation format on January 11, at the first meeting of the heads of three states – Russian President Vladimir Putin, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev – after the end of the war in Nagorno-Karabakh. The Deputy Prime Ministers' main task is to determine what roads or railways need to be built or restored in order to completely unblock transport links in the region.

In particular, the vice-premiers will discuss several possible projects at once, such as the construction of a railway through the territory of Armenia, which will connect Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan (Azerbaijani exclave), as well as Armenia and Russia. In addition, they will also weigh in on a proposal to link Armenia and Iran by rail through Nakhichevan, RBC's source said.