OREANDA-NEWS  Investments from Russian Railways and the income of the South Caucasus Railway (SCR) amounted to about $ 396.3 million from 2008 to 2025, and if the Armenian authorities deem it necessary to change the terms of cooperation, which are determined by the current concession agreement, the Russian side has the right to expect a return on the invested funds. This was stated by the head of Russian Railways Oleg Belozerov to the TASS news agency.

A top manager of a Russian state-owned company reacted in this way to statements made by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on July 30 that for many years Armenia had not demanded anything from Russia for the use of the South Caucasus Railway, which is under the concession management of the Russian Railways subsidiary of the same name, but if the parties do not resolve the issue amicably, the matter may reach international arbitration.

In his statement, Pashinyan recalled "things for which we have not asked for anything for 30 years." When asked by journalists if he was hinting at concession payments, he noted that Yerevan wants to "resolve the issue in a friendly way, but still resolve it."

"All the rights and obligations of the parties are stipulated in the concession agreement, to which the Armenian government is a party," Belozerov stressed. He recalled that the SCR is one of the most significant and major national employers, and the concession gave Armenia a modern railway, while freeing the budget from the costs of its restoration and maintenance.