Pashinyan: no progress on Armenia railway talks

PanARMENIAN.Net - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed his earlier proposal to transfer the concession management of Armenia’s railway to a third country maintaining friendly ties with both Armenia and Russia.

He said that during a recent phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the issue of Armenia’s railway was discussed, but there are no new developments, describing it as an ongoing working process, Armenpress reported.

The prime minister was asked whether reports are accurate that an option is being discussed to transfer the railway network to a Kazakh company.

“We would not oppose it if it turns out that there is mutual understanding between us and Russia that a Kazakh company is acceptable for both sides. At present, negotiations are proceeding somewhat differently, because our Russian partners have not yet said, ‘okay, let’s do it.’ Such ideas exist, but for now they remain just ideas in the air,” Pashinyan said.

In February 2026, the prime minister presented this proposal to the Russian side, arguing that under Russian management Armenia has lost certain competitive advantages, as some countries avoid using the Armenian railway network.