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Armenia-Iran railway construction project should be viewed as a dream project for Armenia, but that project is, however, feasible, orientalist Vardan Voskanyan told a press conference today.

“We should always set high standards and try to meet them,” he said.

When explaining the slow implementation of the project, V. Voskanyan gave two reasons: the sanctions against Iran and the global economic crisis. In his words, those reasons are now disappearing, and in case of successful completion of the talks between Iran and six nations over Iran’s nuclear program, the situation is going to improve even more.

The construction of Armenia-Iran railway is important to Armenia for a variety of reasons, the expert said. “One group of economists considers the project advantageous, while the other claims the opposite. Even if we assume that the project is not advantageous to Armenia economically, it is undoubtedly of great strategic importance to the country. The railway construction will enable Armenia to overcome the Azerbaijani-Turkish blockade,” Voskanyan stressed.

The construction of Armenia-Iran railway will benefit Iran as a shortcut that will link it to Georgian ports, and will also be advantageous to China in terms of constructing the Silk Road, V. Voskanyan added.

He said the Armenian and Iranian sides support the project based on statements by the Russian side that is not opposed to it.