ARMENIA WOULD BECOME FULL MEMBER OF EEU ONLY AFTER ABKHAZIAN SECTION OF SOUTH-CAUCASIAN RAILWAY RESUMED
YEREVAN, December 9. / ARKA /. Armenia would become a full-fledged
member of the Eurasian Economic Union only after the Abkhazian section
of the South-Caucasian railway resumed operation, according to Aram
Safaryan, the head of Integration and Development research and analysis
NGO in Yerevan, who presented today a paper titled “Russia and Armenia:
Integration on the Background of the Global Crisis.”
The paper was prepared by Mikhail Volkonsky and Nikolay Silaev,
senior fellows at the Center for Caucasus and Regional Security of
the Moscow State Institute for International Relations (MGIMO).
According to Safaryan, following Russian president Putin’s meeting with
the Abkhaz leader in Sochi the likelihood of successful accomplishment
of the talks on the resumption of the railway section has grown. He
said the stakeholders in this project are not only Georgia, Abkhazia,
Russia and Armenia, but also Turkey, which has stepped up exports of
products to Russia after the Russian ban on imports of foods from EU
and some other countries.
He said the resumption of the Abkhazian section of the railway is
strategically important for Armenia, as it provides the shortest and
cheapest land route from Armenia to Russia. Russian President Vladimir
Putin recently announced that Russia and Abkhazia may organize transit
rail service through Abkhazia to Georgia and from there to Armenia
given the accord of all sides.
Safaryan said non-governmental organizations, political circles and
the media must provide platforms to all those who favor the resumption
of the South-Caucasian Railway, as well as the construction of a new
highway, which can bind Dagestan with Georgia, one branch of which
will go to Armenia through the North-South transport corridor under
construction in Armenia, and the second branch may head to Turkey.
“It is obvious that Armenia would not feel itself as a full member of
the Eurasian Economic Union unless there projects are implemented,”
said Safaryan.
Six months ago, speaking in the National Assembly of Armenia, deputy
transport minister Artur Arakelyan said the resumption of the Abkhazian
section of the railway is estimated at $200 million.-0-
From: A. Papazian