Russia keen to revive Transcaucasus railway

NTV Mir, Moscow
3 Nov 04

November

[Presenter Aleksey Sukhanov] Moscow is restoring transport links with
the Caucasus. Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are planning to
create an operating company for the revival of the Transcaucasus
Railway, Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin said today at a news
conference in Moscow. Such a decision was taken following negotiations
with the authorities of the three Transcaucasian republics.

[Levitin] If we can reanimate and open traffic, reanimate employment,
I think it will be easier for us to make progress on political issues.

[Presenter] The chairman of Russian Railways Company, Gennadiy
Fadeyev, is currently visiting Armenia. And this is what he said.

[Fadeyev] Armenia today is blocked off. I don’t think you should be
too shy to call it this. Today transporting goods from Russia and
Armenia through Ukraine is not affordable. It is three times more
expensive. The route is almost seven days longer. The key issue, or
one of principle key issues in the Caucasus, is the unblocking of the
railways.