Starting from last December, within the framework of Azerbaijan-Armenia normalization
Experts believe that the Gazakh-Ijevan road is the best route for transporting grain and oil to Armenia and should be restored.
During his speech at today's meeting, Pashinyan recalled the visit of Armenian and Azerbaijani representatives to the Arazdayan-Sadarak railway section and noted that Russia would repair the sections of Armenian railways under its balance that connect with Azerbaijan and Turkey (Gazakh-Ijevan, Arazdayan-Nakhchivan-Julfa).
It is interesting to know how much funding the restoration of this road requires?
Transport expert Rauf Agamirzayev told Modern.az in a statement that ideas regarding the restoration of the Armenian section of the Baku-Gazakh-Ijevan railway have generally been voiced from time to time over the last 5 years:
“The villages of Sofulu and Barkhudarly in Gazakh are currently under Armenian control. These Azerbaijani enclaves must be returned, and it is important to complete the delimitation in this direction. The distance from Gazakh to Barkhudarly on the Azerbaijani side is 18 kilometers. Azerbaijan can restore 18 kilometers of railway and 18 kilometers of highway in a very short time.”
The expert noted that the situation on the Armenian side is slightly more complex:
“Because there have been landslides in the area, and in certain sections, the rail-sleeper grid and contact network have been dismantled. At one time, the longest regional tunnel was also there. Its length was 8 kilometers and 100 meters. It has remained preserved without ever being used. Before they can be reused, they must be inspected and restored. Overall, the project was estimated to be worth 500 million dollars. However, the Russian side has not implemented the project to date. The issue remains open.”
The expert stated that 33 million dollars in construction and restoration work should be carried out for the Armenian section of the Arazdayan-Nakhchivan and Gumri-Kars railways with Turkey, and 223 million dollars for the full operation of the Zangezur corridor.
"For us, the opening of the Zangezur corridor is of primary importance. There is an intention, and it is highly likely that active work will begin this year. In parallel, as I mentioned, a series of measures must be taken. There is no problem with construction and installation work on the Azerbaijani side. On the other hand, this is an internal matter for Armenia; either they themselves or the Russian railways, to which they have granted a concession, will build it. Time will tell.”
It should be recalled that grain and fuel purchased by Armenia from Azerbaijan currently enter the country's territory via Georgia.
