Pashinyan Says Armenia Seeks Alternatives in Relations with Russia, Warns Railway Dispute Could Go to Arbitration

YEREVAN — Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said that Armenia intends to resolve outstanding issues concerning the country’s railway network amicably but could turn to international arbitration if no agreement is reached with the Russian side.

“We want to resolve the railway issue in a friendly manner, but a situation may arise in which we have to make legal decisions. If there is a disagreement, we will go to an arbitration court and discuss it there,” Pashinyan told reporters following a government meeting on July 30.

The prime minister said the railway issue was not discussed during his July 27 telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding that Armenia’s position on the matter remained unchanged.

Under an agreement signed in 2008 with the state-owned Russian Railways company, the Armenian government transferred management of the country’s railway network to the Russian company for 30 years, with an option to extend the agreement for another decade.

In February, Pashinyan outlined a possible alternative arrangement under which a country maintaining friendly relations with both Armenia and Russia could purchase the railway management rights from the Russian side.

In January, he called on Russia to make an urgent decision regarding the restoration of several strategically important sections of Armenia’s railway infrastructure.

Armenia expects the prompt restoration of the railway section from the Armenia–Turkey border near Akhurik to the operational railway network, the section from the Armenia–Nakhichevan border to Yeraskh, and the Tavush section extending to and including the Ijevan railway station. All these sections fall under the existing agreement with the Russian company.

Pashinyan said in December that Armenia was prepared to restore the strategically important railway sections using its own resources if the Russian side failed to complete the work within an appropriate timeframe.

Addressing the broader relationship between Yerevan and Moscow, Pashinyan said Armenia had decided to develop political and economic alternatives after years of relying heavily on Russia.

“I am responsible for Armenia–Russia relations; I am not responsible for Armenian–Russian relations,” Pashinyan said, drawing a distinction between interstate relations and broader ties between the Armenian and Russian peoples.

“As for the political component of those relations, I have said that Armenia has decided to have alternatives, which it did not have before. This concerns not only economic alternatives but political alternatives as well,” he added.

The prime minister noted that Armenia had signed strategic partnership documents with several countries, establishing relationships that had not previously existed.

“Russia sees a problem in this,” he said. “There is an approach that relations must either be special or there should be no relations at all. We do not accept that approach. We say the relationship may not be special, but relations must continue. This is a legitimate position.”

Pashinyan also addressed Russian restrictions on imports of certain Armenian goods, arguing that the situation could create new opportunities for Armenian producers, encouraging them to diversify their markets and improve the quality of their products.

“Many consider the situation involving the Eurasian Economic Union and the Russian market a crisis. I consider it an opportunity,” he said. “This is not a crisis; it is an opportunity—a window that we ourselves have opened.”

“The era in which we had no alternatives is over,” Pashinyan continued. “We must always have alternatives in every area. The more alternatives we have, the better. Our people must know that they have the opportunity to make choices.”