Armenia can establish a railway connection to Iran by transiting through the territory of Azerbaijan, including Nakhchivan.
elchi reports that Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stated this while answering questions about the TRIPP project in parliament.
According to the minister, Azerbaijan will gain the opportunity to move to Nakhchivan from the territory of Armenia and vice versa. In return, Armenia will be able to establish connections both between different parts of the country and with third countries by using the territory and infrastructure of Azerbaijan.
Mirzoyan noted that Armenia can gain the opportunity to transport goods to Iran via Nakhchivan, and to Central Asia, China, and other destinations through the territory of Azerbaijan.
Touching upon the organization of border procedures within the framework of the project, the minister stated that the purpose of the “front office” and “back office” mechanism is to facilitate and speed up the passage of passengers and goods. According to him, decisions will be made by employees of the relevant state bodies of Armenia.
Mirzoyan also emphasized that the project is not limited to the railway that will pass through the Meghri region. He stated that the routes of possible oil and gas pipelines have not yet been determined, and these infrastructures may also pass through other territories of Armenia.
The minister said that the issue of creating stops on the railway has not been discussed so far. Nevertheless, he considered the existence of stops necessary, taking into account Armenia’s use of that line for cargo and passenger transportation.