Yerevan /Mediamax/. General Director of “South Caucasus Railroad” CJSC (SCR) Shevket Shaidullin stated that the statements of Armenian Minister of Transport concerning the SCR “may undermine the image of a large-scale project, which is realized at the level of two friendly countries – Armenia and Russia”.

As Mediamax was told in the press service of SCR today, Shevket Shaidullin’s open letter to the Minister of Transport and Communication of Armenia Gurgen Sargsian reads this.

“Today we are establishing the necessary perquisites to secure long-term efficiency and financial stability of Armenia’s railroad transport. Our goal is improvement of the quality of consumer services, increase of transport production scales and deep integration into Eurasian transport-logistics system. However, to realize the mentioned strategy, we need the understanding and correct attitude from the part of corresponding state structures”, Head of SCR stated.

Shevket Shaidullin expressed discontent by the statements of the Minister, made on March 17, according to which in 2008 the investment program of SCR was fulfilled only for 28% of the planned volume, and the leadership of the company had not implemented certain items of the concession agreement.

“The volume of SCR investments in 2008 made 2.5bln rubles (by movement of funds), of which about 1bln rubles was used (introduction of assets). The remaining part of the means is being transferred to the investment program for the year of 2009. Within the framework of Concession agreement implementation, assets at the sum of 612mln rubles are introduced, which makes 61% of the Concessionaire’s commitments in 2008. Early this year, SCR and the Ministry of Transport and Communication of Armenia set up a joint commission to monitor the concession agreement implementation. Within the framework of our cooperation, 3 meetings have already been held. During those meetings a common vision of the problems and the ways to solve them were elaborated. However, the form of the dialogue you have adopted does not provide for constructiveness and effectiveness. The problems the railroad transport of Armenia faces are so complex as to require constant attention and consideration”, the open letter of SCR Head reads.