Georgia ready to develop co-op with Turkmenistan - PM
By Trend
Georgia is ready to contribute to the further development of cooperation with Turkmenistan, Trend reports referring to the letter by Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia to President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, published in the Turkmen media Oct. 1.
The letter was sent on the occasion of the national holiday of Turkmenistan – the Independence Day.
“On behalf of the government of Georgia and on my own behalf, I express my readiness in every possible way to foster deepening of bilateral ties and further development of cooperation between Georgia and Turkmenistan,” reads the letter.
Tbilisi previously noted that Georgia is an important link in the South Caucasus transport and energy corridor and is ready to provide reliable and safe transit of energy carriers from Central Asia region through the country’s territory.
Turkmenistan ranks fourth in the world in terms of natural gas reserves. In addition, Ashgabat and Tbilisi are studying projects to create transport and transit infrastructure between the Caspian and Black Sea regions, the use of which will allow ensuring wide interregional integration with the states of Europe and the Middle East. There, the project of the transport corridor Lapis Lazuli serves as a concrete example.
According to the project of Lapis Lazuli, railway lines and highways will connect the city of Turgundi (Afghan province of Herat) with Ashgabat first and then with the Caspian port of Turkmenbashi.
The corridor will continue to Baku, then through Tbilisi to Ankara with branches in Georgia's Poti and Batumi, and then from Ankara to Istanbul. The project budget, which aims to facilitate transit logistics and simplify customs procedures in the region, is estimated at $2 billion.
---
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz