Russia says ‘Trump Road’ hard to implement without Moscow’s involvement

The implementation of the so-called “Trump Road” initiative would be difficult without Russia’s involvement, as the route would pass through areas under the responsibility of Russian border guards, a Russian Foreign Ministry official said.

Mikhail Kalugin, head of the ministry’s fourth department for CIS countries, told RIA Novosti that Moscow was ready to hold consultations with Armenia on the parameters of the initiative, adding that the details of the Armenian-U.S. project still needed to be studied.

He said Russia was open to discussing both the substance of the initiative and possible Russian participation, noting that it concerned a section of a route previously agreed within a trilateral working group.

Kalugin also said that South Caucasus Railway, a subsidiary of Russian Railways, holds a concession to manage Armenia’s railway network and that Russian-gauge tracks are used in the region. Most of the route, he added, would run through areas under the responsibility of Russian border guards.

He pointed to Armenia’s membership of the Eurasian Economic Union, saying this made implementation of the initiative without Russia’s involvement difficult.

N.Tebrizli