Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is strategic project: Georgian minister
By Jamila Babayeva
The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is of strategic importance to Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, Georgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Giorgi Kvirikashvili told journalists in Baku.
"The railway will contribute to the strengthening of the neighborhood, friendship and trade relations among the countries," he said, AzerTag state news agency reported.
Kvirikashvili noted that the problem regarding the purchase of territories along the route in the implementation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project has already been solved, there are no obstacles for the project.
"The project will be launched in time. Test train will be launched at the end of 2014, in 2015 the project will be completed," he added.
The BTK railway is a regional rail link project that connects Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey.
Azerbaijan has allocated a $775 million loan to the construction of the Georgian section of the railway. The project is being financed by the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan.
The project was implemented after Azerbaijan's President issued a decree on the 'Implementation of measures within the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project', dated February 21, 2007.
The total length of the BTK is 826 kilometers (about 513 miles). After commissioning the railway, mutual trade between Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey will increase significantly, the total volume exceeding $10 billion per year.
Head of Azeryolservis JSC (road transport infrastructure) of the Ministry of Transport Javid Gurbanov recently said the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway will come to an end in mid-2015.