Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk has stated that there are no objective reasons for transferring the concession of the South Caucasus Railway (SCR), a subsidiary of Russian Railways (RZD), to any third party.
In an interview with TASS, Overchuk emphasized that there are no grounds for selling the SCR concession. “It is clear to us that there are no objective reasons for selling the SCR concession to any third party,” he said.
Turning to Armenia’s nuclear energy sector, Overchuk noted that Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom could potentially extend the operation of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) until 2036, provided certain technical conditions are met.
He pointed out that the plant is currently licensed to operate until autumn 2026, with preparations underway to extend its service life until autumn 2031. “This will be done. Our specialists also believe that its operation could be extended until 2036, but certain conditions must be fulfilled,” he stated.
At the same time, Overchuk criticized Yerevan’s increasing reliance on European contractors within the framework of its “European vector” of development. According to him, a significant portion of the modernization and life-extension work is being assigned to European companies that lack experience in seismic regions and do not sufficiently coordinate with the plant’s general designer.
“There is something for everyone to think about when politically motivated decisions begin to influence nuclear energy production technologies,” he stressed.
Overchuk added that a key condition for Rosatom to provide safety guarantees for operating the plant until 2036 would be ensuring that at least 70% of the contracted work is carried out by the Russian state corporation.
