On April 1, Maria Zakharova, the Spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated at a briefing that Moscow is not engaged in negotiations with either Astana or Yerevan regarding the transfer of the concession for managing Armenia’s railways to Kazakhstan. Referring to remarks made on March 30 by Andrei Nikitin, the Transport Minister of Russia, she emphasized the importance of considering expert-level assessments. “It is very important to take into account what was made at the expert level—I mean, at the level of the relevant department… this expert statement,” Zakharova stated.

She also recalled that the concession agreement for the South Caucasus Railway, signed in 2008, has a duration of 30 years with the possibility of a 10-year extension. According to her, South Caucasus Railways CJSC has consistently fulfilled its obligations, while Russian investments in Armenia’s railway infrastructure have exceeded 30 billion rubles. Commenting on potential high-level negotiations, Zakharova added that such matters are traditionally addressed by the presidential administration.

Addressing another issue, Maria Zakharova stated that Russia is ready to cooperate with Armenia in countering “hybrid threats” if there is mutual interest from the Armenian side. She made this remark in response to comments by Ararat Mirzoyan, the Foreign Minister of Armenia, who did not rule out benefiting from Russia’s experience in this field.

Zakharova подчеркнула that Russia possesses significant capabilities in this area, but effective cooperation requires willingness from both sides. She noted that Moscow stands ready to respond to any such request, including in areas such as information security, combating cyber fraud, and engagement on international platforms. The spokesperson added that Russia is prepared not only to provide expert assessments but also to develop practical cooperation mechanisms, supported by specialized departments within the Foreign Ministry and other relevant agencies.

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