Levon Zurabyan, the prime ministerial candidate of the Armenian National Congress and deputy chairman of the party, highlighted the construction of a railway connecting Armenia and Iran as a project that could address vital issues, in a video message on Facebook presenting the party’s election platform.

He said the project had been proposed to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in 2019 but was rejected by him.

Zurabyan noted that the railway, designed by China Communications Construction Company, would include 84 bridges and 60 tunnels, with a preliminary estimated cost of $3.2 billion. According to him, the project would bring significant benefits to participating countries, primarily Armenia and Iran.

“That railway will connect Agarak with the Gagarin railway station. Rail links from Yerevan will be established with the cities of Gavar, Martuni, Jermuk, Sisian, Kapan and Meghri, which will strengthen our country’s economic, defense and security systems and invigorate the economic life of those settlements,” the ANC prime ministerial candidate said.

He added that through Iran, Armenia would gain access to ports on the Indian Ocean and become an important transit country connecting the Black Sea with the Persian Gulf.

Zurabyan, however, stressed above all the railway’s geopolitical significance for Armenia, saying the country would reduce its unilateral communications dependence on Azerbaijan and Turkey, thereby limiting their economic leverage and pressure tools.