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SAAKASHVILI SPEAKS OF REGIONAL RAILWAY, AS DEAL SIGNED
Civil Georgia, Georgia
Feb 7 2007
A new regional railway, Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars, will link Asia with
Europe and turn into "a modern version of the new Silk Road," Georgian
President Mikheil Saakashvili said after negotiating with visiting
Turkish and Azerbaijani leaders in Tbilisi on February 7.
Speaking at the joint news conference with the Turkish and Azerbaijani
leaders, Saakashvili also said that Tbilisi does not want any country
of the region to be "isolated" from the regional cooperation.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev arrived in Tbilisi on February 7.
Three leaders signed Tbilisi declaration on common vision for regional
cooperation between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.
And Transport Ministers from Azerbaijan and Turkey and the Georgian
Economy Minister signed a separate agreement envisaging to launch
construction of the regional railway this year.
An additional agreement was signed between Azerbaijan and Turkey
envisaging allocation of USD 200 million to the Georgian side for
construction and rehabilitation of its section of Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars
railway. Georgia will have to repay the loan with 1% annual
interest within 25 years. Georgia plans to use the revenues from the
Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars railway to cover the loan.
"This is the project, which will lead to a geopolitical revolution
in our region, because this will be a new line that will connect
not only our three countries, but also interlink Asian and European
regions with each other," Saakashvili said at a joint news conference
with the Azerbaijani and Turkish leaders.
He said that the project which is worth of "several hundreds of
millions" of U.S. dollars will bring "several hundreds of billions"
in revenues.
"In a long-term perspective, this project is a serious guarantor for
success," he added.
"If until now Georgia was blocked due to the closure of the Russian
railway [there is no direct railway link with Russia as the Abkhaz
section is closed down], by 2010 the Georgian railway will turn into
a part the European railway system," Saakashvili said.
Armenia is against the Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars railway, claiming that the
project will further isolate the landlocked country. As an alternative
to Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars, Yerevan is pushing for reopening the already
existing Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi railway. The railway between the Turkish
town of Kars and Armenia's Gyumri is currently not operational because
of trade blockades imposed on Armenia by Turkey and Azerbaijan.
In his remarks at the news conference President Saakashvili underlined
that he does not want "any of the country to be left outside" regional
cooperation which currently taking place.
"We want to have equal, transparent and friendly relations with each
of the neighboring countries. It is very important for us to prevent
isolation of any of the country of our region... Of course we want
equal and new neighborly relations with Armenia," Saakashvili said.
He said that the South Caucasian countries have no other alternative
rather than to establish "friendly relations among each other."
"I am sure that we have a clear future and today we will sign this
future. We will do our best to launch this grand construction [of
regional railway] this year and end it in shortest period of time,"
Saakashvili said.
Civil Georgia, Georgia
Feb 7 2007
A new regional railway, Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars, will link Asia with
Europe and turn into "a modern version of the new Silk Road," Georgian
President Mikheil Saakashvili said after negotiating with visiting
Turkish and Azerbaijani leaders in Tbilisi on February 7.
Speaking at the joint news conference with the Turkish and Azerbaijani
leaders, Saakashvili also said that Tbilisi does not want any country
of the region to be "isolated" from the regional cooperation.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev arrived in Tbilisi on February 7.
Three leaders signed Tbilisi declaration on common vision for regional
cooperation between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.
And Transport Ministers from Azerbaijan and Turkey and the Georgian
Economy Minister signed a separate agreement envisaging to launch
construction of the regional railway this year.
An additional agreement was signed between Azerbaijan and Turkey
envisaging allocation of USD 200 million to the Georgian side for
construction and rehabilitation of its section of Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars
railway. Georgia will have to repay the loan with 1% annual
interest within 25 years. Georgia plans to use the revenues from the
Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars railway to cover the loan.
"This is the project, which will lead to a geopolitical revolution
in our region, because this will be a new line that will connect
not only our three countries, but also interlink Asian and European
regions with each other," Saakashvili said at a joint news conference
with the Azerbaijani and Turkish leaders.
He said that the project which is worth of "several hundreds of
millions" of U.S. dollars will bring "several hundreds of billions"
in revenues.
"In a long-term perspective, this project is a serious guarantor for
success," he added.
"If until now Georgia was blocked due to the closure of the Russian
railway [there is no direct railway link with Russia as the Abkhaz
section is closed down], by 2010 the Georgian railway will turn into
a part the European railway system," Saakashvili said.
Armenia is against the Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars railway, claiming that the
project will further isolate the landlocked country. As an alternative
to Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars, Yerevan is pushing for reopening the already
existing Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi railway. The railway between the Turkish
town of Kars and Armenia's Gyumri is currently not operational because
of trade blockades imposed on Armenia by Turkey and Azerbaijan.
In his remarks at the news conference President Saakashvili underlined
that he does not want "any of the country to be left outside" regional
cooperation which currently taking place.
"We want to have equal, transparent and friendly relations with each
of the neighboring countries. It is very important for us to prevent
isolation of any of the country of our region... Of course we want
equal and new neighborly relations with Armenia," Saakashvili said.
He said that the South Caucasian countries have no other alternative
rather than to establish "friendly relations among each other."
"I am sure that we have a clear future and today we will sign this
future. We will do our best to launch this grand construction [of
regional railway] this year and end it in shortest period of time,"
Saakashvili said.