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ARMENIA, IRAN PLAN RAILWAY LINK: MINISTERS
Agence France Presse
April 3 2009
France
YEREVAN (AFP) -- Armenia and Iran agreed Friday to build a railway
to link the two countries as part of a new transit route from Central
Asia to the Black Sea, officials said.
The 470-kilometre (292-mile) railway will take five years and cost
up to 1.2 billion dollars (892 million euros) to be financed by the
World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, Iranian Transport Minister
Hamid Behbahani said.
"The railway construction will amount to a restoration of the historic
Silk Road," Behbahani said at a press conference after signing a
memorandum with his Armenian counterpart, Gurgen Sargsian.
"The railway will ensure transport links from South and Central Asia,
the Far East, through Iran and Armenia's territory towards Georgia's
Black Sea ports," Sargsian said.
Landlocked Armenia is seeking closer ties with Iran because of an
economic blockade imposed by neighbours Azerbaijan and traditional
foe Turkey.
The United States has raised concerns about Armenia's warming ties
with Iran, with the top US diplomat in Yerevan saying in June that
the country should join in international sanctions aimed at convincing
Iran to halt its nuclear programme.
Agence France Presse
April 3 2009
France
YEREVAN (AFP) -- Armenia and Iran agreed Friday to build a railway
to link the two countries as part of a new transit route from Central
Asia to the Black Sea, officials said.
The 470-kilometre (292-mile) railway will take five years and cost
up to 1.2 billion dollars (892 million euros) to be financed by the
World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, Iranian Transport Minister
Hamid Behbahani said.
"The railway construction will amount to a restoration of the historic
Silk Road," Behbahani said at a press conference after signing a
memorandum with his Armenian counterpart, Gurgen Sargsian.
"The railway will ensure transport links from South and Central Asia,
the Far East, through Iran and Armenia's territory towards Georgia's
Black Sea ports," Sargsian said.
Landlocked Armenia is seeking closer ties with Iran because of an
economic blockade imposed by neighbours Azerbaijan and traditional
foe Turkey.
The United States has raised concerns about Armenia's warming ties
with Iran, with the top US diplomat in Yerevan saying in June that
the country should join in international sanctions aimed at convincing
Iran to halt its nuclear programme.