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EXPERTS: ARMENIA MAY BECOME CUSTOMS UNION'S GATES INTO MIDDLE EAST AND SOUTH ASIA
by Gayane Isahakyan
ARMINFO
Wednesday, September 25, 20:02
Russia is interested in Armenia as a transit corridor to the Middle
East and South Asia, Director of the Center for Integration Studies
at the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) Yevgeny Vinokurov said on
Wednesday during a Moscow-Yerevan video conference on the economic
advantages of the Eurasian project for Armenia.
"All the members of the Customs Union are interested in the building of
the North-South transport corridor and the reopening of the Abkhazian
railway. This project will be financed by the EDB-controlled EurasEC
Anti-Crisis Fund," Vinokurov said.
He said that one of the issues of the joint agenda may also be the
Georgian problem. "According to surveys, 59% of the Georgians are
interested in normal relations with Russia and are well disposed
towards the Customs Union. This is a good chance for Armenia and all
the member states," Vinokurov said.
Deputy Director of the Noravank Scientific Education Foundation
Sevak Sarukhanyan stressed the importance of railway projects in the
territory of Armenia. "Armenia may become the Customs Union's gates
into the Middle East and South Asia," he said.
The expert believes that the reopening of the Abkhazian railway will
foster integration in the South Caucasus. "All the transport and
energy corridors built in the region so far run from east to west
rather from north to south," Sarukhanyan said.
He welcomes Armenia's wish to join the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization as China may also be interested in the Iran-Armenia
railway project.
The 556 km long North-South transport corridor will give access to the
Black Sea and Europe through the territory of Armenia (Meghri-Kapan-
Goris-Yerevan-Ashtarak-Gyumri-Bavra) and Georgia.
While visiting Yerevan in Jan 2013, Georgian Prime Minister Birdzina
Ivanishvili mentioned the possibility of restarting the Abkhazian
railway stopped as a result of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict in
1992- 1993.
by Gayane Isahakyan
ARMINFO
Wednesday, September 25, 20:02
Russia is interested in Armenia as a transit corridor to the Middle
East and South Asia, Director of the Center for Integration Studies
at the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) Yevgeny Vinokurov said on
Wednesday during a Moscow-Yerevan video conference on the economic
advantages of the Eurasian project for Armenia.
"All the members of the Customs Union are interested in the building of
the North-South transport corridor and the reopening of the Abkhazian
railway. This project will be financed by the EDB-controlled EurasEC
Anti-Crisis Fund," Vinokurov said.
He said that one of the issues of the joint agenda may also be the
Georgian problem. "According to surveys, 59% of the Georgians are
interested in normal relations with Russia and are well disposed
towards the Customs Union. This is a good chance for Armenia and all
the member states," Vinokurov said.
Deputy Director of the Noravank Scientific Education Foundation
Sevak Sarukhanyan stressed the importance of railway projects in the
territory of Armenia. "Armenia may become the Customs Union's gates
into the Middle East and South Asia," he said.
The expert believes that the reopening of the Abkhazian railway will
foster integration in the South Caucasus. "All the transport and
energy corridors built in the region so far run from east to west
rather from north to south," Sarukhanyan said.
He welcomes Armenia's wish to join the Shanghai Cooperation
Organization as China may also be interested in the Iran-Armenia
railway project.
The 556 km long North-South transport corridor will give access to the
Black Sea and Europe through the territory of Armenia (Meghri-Kapan-
Goris-Yerevan-Ashtarak-Gyumri-Bavra) and Georgia.
While visiting Yerevan in Jan 2013, Georgian Prime Minister Birdzina
Ivanishvili mentioned the possibility of restarting the Abkhazian
railway stopped as a result of the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict in
1992- 1993.