In an interview with Tert.am, an expert in Iranian studies, Gohar Iskandaryan, shared her comments on the Iran-Armenia railway project, elaborating on its political advantages and economic expediency.She said the sides are now negotiating financial issues to find the necessary resources. According to her, the project is more important for Armenia given that the direct connection with Iran’s railway network will open the country’s way to the Persian Gulf, allowing for an open communication with other countries of the world.
“We are now entirely dependent upon Georgia, so the Armenia-Iran railway will open an alternative route. Yes, the railway [construction] requires a considerably big sum, more than 3 billion [US Dollars], which Armenia doesn’t naturally have. We are going to invest sums in the near future, but they are not expected to return in the coming decade,” she explained.
The expert said she finds that the railway’s construction is, in political terms, extremely important for Armenia to reduce the country’s dependence upon Georgia and the situation in that country.
She added that the project, if accomplished, will raise Armenia’s role in the region by opening a new door to the external world and connecting Iran’s railway to Russia and Europe across the territories of Armenia and Georgia.
“The Armenian Government is trying to obtain the necessary 3 billion [Dollars] through China which had earlier promised to invest 40 billion in the construction of that Silk Road. At the same time, it is important for us to understand that it isn’t going to be a gift but rather – something like a credit, which we have to pay off over years,” she added.
As for the Russian factor, particularly the country’s somewhat jealous attitude to the project (often heard in different analysts’ remarks), the expert said she sees economic interests behind all that. “What makes Russia tense is the [project’s] economic advantages or disadvantages, as our railway network is under Russian control. They simply state that it will not meet the economic expectations to justify the investment of such sums. I don’t think jealousy is the issue here, as Armenia is not a rival to either Russia or Iran. Neither can it be a rival between the two. So it is pointless to speak about jealousy here. What they all the time point out to is the economic [interest]; they do not care about the political. The political aspect is of interest only to Armenia,” she added.
Iskandaryan, nonetheless, insisted on the project’s key role for Armenia, highlighting the importance of the alternative communication channel.