Russia is not holding negotiations on transferring the concession management of Armenia’s railway to Kazakhstan, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said, citing Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin.

Earlier, Nikitin had also stated that Moscow does not plan any transfer of the concession and that the issue has not been discussed with the Armenian side at an official level, according to Sputnik Armenia

“The concession agreement signed in 2008 is valid for 30 years, with the possibility of a 10-year extension. South Caucasus Railway CJSC has responsibly fulfilled the terms of the agreement for many years. Russian investments in infrastructure have exceeded 30 billion rubles,” Zakharova said.

On March 26, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Yerevan would not oppose transferring railway management to a Kazakh company if agreed with Russia.

Earlier, he had also proposed revisiting the management model of Armenia’s railway, not ruling out the possibility of transferring the concession to friendly countries such as Kazakhstan, the UAE, or Qatar.