India’s Foreign Minister: Armenia can be a transit country on the way from India to Europe and Russia

Armenia can absolutely play a role of a transit country on the way from India to Europe and Russia, Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister of the Government of India said in answer to the question of Armenian News - NEWS.am in New Dehli during a familiarization visit of a group of journalist from Eurasian countries, speaking about the possible role of Armenia in the developing transit routes connecting India with Europe and Russia.
There will be more corridors of trade and transit in the world in the next ten years, the Minister said.
“We have something called International North-South Transport Corridor which involves Chabahar port and other countries, we have something called the Middle East Corridor, but there will be more, because the old corridors were established 70-80 years ago. As production, consumption and natural resources change I think it's necessary to create new corridors which will connect new parts. If you look at the location of Armenia you're a country definitely between Europe and India. So, I see possibilities there,” Jaishankar added.
India's foreign minister underscored that the two countries have very good relations and there are a lot of possibilities for deepening bilateral cooperation.
“We have seen in different areas, our trade has gone up, our cultural cooperation has gone up, our political coordination has gone up. So, there is a lot that we can be doing out there,” Jaishankar concluded.

T. K. Ramachandran, the Secretary of Ports, Shipping and Waterways of India told Armenian News – NEWS.am that the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTH) is very important for New Dehli, as they see it as an alternative route not only to Western Europe, Eastern Europe and Central Asia, but also to Russia.
“We think that this will develop over the next five years, given the background that we have been seeing over the last few years. The corridor has a digital connectivity provision, there are both road and rail components, there is also a trading process component, which means customs, procedures and so on. I think once the physical corridor is laid in terms of upgrading the roads, rail and other infrastructures, customs processes should be similar, then digital integration of the goods, movement, related information and all that. Once that happens, the corridors will be able to take off. All the preliminary work is happening,” the Secretary stated.

• India
• Russia
• Armenia
• Europe