Garnik Danielyan: The transferr of SCR to a Kazakh company`s  concession management is under discussion

ArmInfo. Anti-Russian sentiment in Armenia is gaining momentum. The outcome is unknown, Garnik Danielyan, a member of parliament from the opposition Hayastan faction, told reporters in parliament on March 24, referring to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's phone call to Russian President Vladimir Putin two months before the elections and his desire to meet with the Russian leader.

"As far as I understand, the issue of Armenian railways is currently  being discussed, and again, as far as I know, the issue of  transferring them to a Kazakh company's concession management is  being discussed," he said. Moreover, the parliamentarian noted,  despite the surge in anti-Russian sentiment fueled by the current  government, it was under this cabinet that the Armenian economy's  dependence on Russia's increased sharply. All talk of diversification  is meaningless, as an alternative to the Russian and EAEU markets has  still not been found, he added.  " Economics and politics are  interconnected  worldwide. Economic dependence leads to political  dependence. Just look at the numbers," the parliamentarian urged.

Recall, on February 11, 2026, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated  that Armenia was losing its competitive advantages and that the  railway issue should be resolved with Russia "in a friendly,  fraternal manner." On February 13, in a conversation with  journalists, he proposed that Russia consider selling the right to a  railway concession to a state friendly to both Moscow and Yerevan.  Among the options, he named Kazakhstan, the UAE, and Qatar. Pashinyan  also asserted that Armenia has nothing against Russia, but that the  Russian concession creates "certain competitive losses" for the  country.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova called Nikol  Pashinyan's statement that Russian concession management of Armenian  railways creates competitive costs for Armenia strange. She  emphasized that the Russian operator is an entity that does not  deprive the Republic of Armenia of competitive advantages, but, on  the contrary, creates them. "Our position regarding the restoration  of two sections of the railway connecting Armenia to Turkey and  Azerbaijan, at Yerevan's request, was clearly stated by Russian  Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk on February 12. This is the  position we will adhere to," Zakharova said.

Nevertheless, on March 5, Pashinyan told the media that there was  some understanding on the part of his Russian partners regarding the  transfer of concession management of the railway.