Forecast: Automobile and railway  connection of Armenia and Iran will  nullify the ten-year efforts of Azerbaijan and Turkey

ArmInfo.The road and railway "spike" between Armenia and Iran will nullify the ten-year efforts of Azerbaijan and Turkey towards the isolation of Armenia. Similar  opinion was expressed by ArmInfo of the head of the department of  Iranian studies of YSU, orientalist Vardan Voskanyan.

 "In this light, the important economic, strategic and even geopolitical  significance is not only the construction of the North-South motorway  already underway, but also the implementation of the Armenia- Iran  railway project." Such nationwide programs are the key to the  formation of our country as a powerful regional state " , - he  stressed.  Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarifi, who is in  Armenia on a visit, discussed the possibilities of deepening trade  and economic cooperation between the two countries with the top  leadership of Armenia.

According to the estimates of the Iranian, the political will in the  matter of building a railway is justified by the preservation of the  program on the agenda of the Armenian government. And in case of  establishing strict control over its implementation, the railway to  Iran has all chances for implementation. In the light of the above,  the expert evaluates both of the above-mentioned programs as vital to  Armenia and therefore in need of implementation at any cost.

According to the expectations of the Government of Armenia, the  North-South highway in the future will mitigate the consequences of  the blockade by Azerbaijan and Turkey, become a transit country, join  the Black Sea ring highway. According to current calculations, the  construction of a 556-kilometer North- South highway from Bavry to  Meghri will cost $ 2 billion, since only the southern section of  Artashat- Meghri will cost $ 1.5 billion. In September 2012,  North-South was estimated at $ 962 million of which $ 150.3 million  and ? 23.14 million have already been spent. The construction was  planned to be completed in 2019, however, already today the terms  have been officially postponed for more than 2 years.

The construction of the Iran-Armenia railway as a priority program of  the government for 2017-2022. does not appear. According to the  Ministry of Transport, the project's payback estimated at $ 3.5  billion will be 22 years. The total length of the road with 86  bridges and 60 tunnels on the territory of Armenia is 305 km.  The  construction concessionaire is the company RACIA FZE, registered in  the UAE. The Armenian Transport Ministry accuses the company of  violating the terms provided by the agreement and realizing other  obligations.