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Chinese, Armenian leaders discuss China's participation in railway

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  • Chinese, Armenian leaders discuss China's participation in railway

    Chinese, Armenian leaders discuss China's participation in
    Armenia-Iranian railway construction
    RIA Novosti. Aleksey Druginin

    YEREVAN, May 2 (RIA Novosti)


    Chinese leader Hu Jintao and Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has
    discussed China's participation in a construction of a railway between
    Armenia and Iran, Armenian state's press-service said Sunday.

    Last year the Armenian and Iranian transport ministers signed an
    agreement to build a railway linking Armenia with Iran's Persian Gulf
    ports. The construction of the 470-kilometer long railway, with 410
    kilometers passing through Armenian territory, is expected to last for
    at least five years and to cost $1.5-$1.8 billion.

    "Sargsyan said that a development of the relations with China is a
    priority of Yerevan foreign policy, and noted that bilateral relations
    do already have a good dynamic of their development," the statement
    said.

    The sides also noted with satisfaction the successful implementation
    of various joint projects in energy, chemical industry, agriculture,
    science and technology, defense, culture and education, stressing that
    an exploitation of the Shanxi-Nairit joint Armenian-Chinese
    chloroprene rubber production plant is an important evidence of the
    development of Armenian-Chinese economic cooperation.

    Last year Armenia reached an agreement with Iran on a $400 million
    loan for the construction of a railway between the two countries.

    An agreement on the construction of the strategic route was signed by
    the Armenian transport minister, Gurgen Sargsyan and his Iranian
    counterpart, Hamed Behbahani, in April 2009 in Tehran.

    The construction of the 500-kilometer (310-mile) railway, with 60
    kilometers (37 miles) in Iranian territory, is expected to take at
    least five years and cost $1.5-$1.8 billion.

    The railway, with the Armenian section connecting the northern city of
    Sevan to the southern city of Meghri on the border with Iran, will
    ensure the transportation of energy supplies and other goods, and
    increase trade between the countries.

    Landlocked Armenia, currently under economic blockade by Turkey and
    Azerbaijan, has rail links with other countries only through the
    territory of Georgia, which is complicated by Tbilisi's often
    fractious relations with Moscow.

    Russia and Ukraine had also expressed interest in financing the project.
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