Strategic rail ferry starts operating between Russia and Caucasus

Radio Russia, Moscow
27 Mar 05

[Presenter] The first rail ferry from Russia began unloading today
in the Georgian port of Poti. Tengiz Pachkoria has the details.

[Correspondent] The ferry has brought wheat and maize. It will
operate once a week during the first few months, and then become more
frequent. By April or May, the ferry is expected to begin taking wines,
mineral waters, manganese concentrate and other products from Poti to
[the Russian port of] Kavkaz. The agreement on a ferry link between
Georgia and Russia was signed in January this year in Tbilisi by
Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin and the then Georgian prime
minister, Zurab Zhvania. The ferry can be used not only by Georgia and
Russia but also by Armenia, Azerbaijan and countries in Central Asia.