ARMENIA TO TAKE PART IN RESTORATION OF RAILWAY THROUGH ABKHAZIA

PanARMENIAN.Net - The route of the rail communication between Russia and Georgia through the Abkhazian segment is promising in many respects, "however, now there are more questions than answers toward the its launching," Russian Railways Public Corporation head Gennadi Fadeev, who was participating in the meeting of the CIS Council on Rail Transport, told journalists, reported Regnum news agency. Specifically, he noted the financial aspect of the issue, pointing out the restoration of the Abkhazian segment of the railway "will cost 2.5 billion rubbles or some $100 million." Fadeev supposes that in case the Abkhazian part is restored, "all interested parties, including Armenia and event Azerbaijan to some extent" should take part in rehabilitation works. At that Fadeev stated readiness to "make every effort toward rehabilitation of the Abkhazian part of the railway." "We are ready to send best carriages via Moscow-Tbilisi route and to arrange daily communication," he said. In his turn Chairman of the Department of Railways of Armenia Ararat Khrimyan told journalists the Armenian party plans to join the project, if Russia and Georgia pass a final decision on rehabilitation of the rail segment and if it is the case Armenia will allocate some means for implementation of the project. "If the project is real, we will really think of it, as everybody needs this railway," he underscored. Meanwhile, Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Nogaideli emphasized in a conversation with journalists that he would not like "excessive euphoria in the matter, as there are many questions that need to be solved." "This first of all includes securing refugees, rather Gali region population," he said. The Georgian PM refrained from answering the question, whether a decision on restoration of the Abkhazian rail was passed at the political level. In his words, "the issue is not a simple one and relates to the solution of many organizational questions - the topic has been discussed by the Russian and Georgian parties many times, including in the course of the Russian PM Mikhail Fradkov's visit to Georgia June 3." Nogaideli noted that the question of restoration of rail communication via Abkhazia was not considered at the meeting of the CIS Council on Rail Transport, however it was discussed with Russian Railway Public Corporation head Gennadi Fadeev.