Turkmenistan may join BTK project
By Trend:
The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project may be continued, Turkish Ambassador to Turkmenistan Mustafa Kapucu said, the Turkish media reported Aug. 18.
He said that the relevant projects have already been prepared by the Turkish side.
The ambassador noted that this route may be used by Turkmenistan to export energy resources extracted there to world markets.
“We have plans to extend the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project,” Kapucu said. “This route is of strategic importance for both Turkey and Turkmenistan. Ashgabat exports oil and gas and they want to increase their revenues. Turkmenistan’s gas reserves are estimated at 26 billion cubic meters.”
The official opening ceremony of the BTK railway was held in Baku Oct. 30 last year. The BTK railway was constructed on the basis a Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement.
The railway’s peak capacity will be 17 million tons of cargo per year. At an initial stage, this figure will be one million passengers and 6.5 million tons of cargo.