Russia's Stern Warning to Armenia: We Will Demand Compensation – Reshetnikov

Maxim Reshetnikov, Russia's Minister of Economic Development, has stated that the South Caucasian Railway is not a "free" asset for the Russian company, and any demands for additional payments from Armenia in the event of a review of the agreement are unfounded, reports TASS.

This comes in response to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's statement indicating that Yerevan is seeking alternatives in its relations with Russia, not only in the economic but also in the political sphere.

According to Reshetnikov, Russia has already invested over 30 billion rubles in the development of the South Caucasian Railway, acquiring new rolling stock and developing infrastructure within the framework of existing contractual obligations.

"If these obligations are unilaterally revised and our investor is harmed, we will have grounds to demand compensation," the minister emphasized.

He also stated that in such a scenario, the assertion that Russia should make any additional payments to Armenia is baseless.