Kars-Akhalkalaki railway gains added diplomatic symbolism
By M. Alkhazashvili

The Messenger, Georgia
Aug 15 2005

The possible construction of the Karsi-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku railway
is only on the drawing board but is still a major diplomatic issue
for the countries with the most to gain – and lose – as a result of
the project.

Azeri news agencies have highlighted that Foreign Minister of
Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov has touted the project to both U.S. and
German officials this month and included it together with Azerbaijan’s
other energy and transport projects like the BTC pipeline and the
SCP natural gas pipeline.

The 90 km long railway which is estimated to cost anywhere from USD 400
million to USD 800 million would connect the Turkish city of Kars and
the Georgian city of Akhalkalaki. From there freight would be able to
be shipped onto Baku and beyond. The senior transportation officials
of the three partner countries – Georgia, Turkey and Azerbaijan –
are scheduled to meet in Turkey later this month to further discuss
the project.

While Azerbaijan has praised the project, Armenia has expressed concern
that the railway would basically cut off Armenia from the lucrative
east-west transit rout. According to the paper Rezonansi, Prime
Minister of Armenia Andranik Markaryan is lobbying against the project.

“We are trying with all efforts to prove to all sides interested in
the construction that building this railway is wrong, unprofitable
and very expensive. In addition to this, in case [it is built]
Armenia will be isolated,” Markaryan is quoted as saying.

A major argument for the Armenian side is the existence of railway
from Kars to the Armenian city of Gyumri. This once was the artery
connecting Turkey to the rest of the South Caucasus rail network,
but had not been in operation for nearly 15 years because of the
Karabakh conflict. The revival of this line is still not discussed
and mainly depends on the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
in a way that satisfies both Armenia and Azerbaijan.

In addition to Armenia, Russia also is not very happy about the
project and in fact the Armenian position represents Russian vision
of the issue as well; besides, Russia is far more interested in the
revival of the Abkhaz railway which would give it direct rail access
to the South Caucasus. But so far the most active detractor to the
project is the Armenian lobby in the U.S. Congress.

U.S. Congressmen Joseph Knollenberg (R-MI), Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
and George Radanovich (R-CA), argue that no U.S. aid should be given
to the rail project precisely because it excludes Armenia from the
East-West corridor. To this end they have submitted the bill titled
South Caucasus Integration and Open Railroads Act of 2005.

The stated goal of the bill (H.R. 3361) is “To prohibit United
States assistance to develop or promote any rail connections or
railway-related connections that traverse or connect Baku, Azerbaijan;
Tbilisi, Georgia; and Kars, Turkey, and that specifically exclude
cities in Armenia.”

In a press release on his website, the lead sponsor of the bill Rep.
Knollenberg slams the project saying, “The construction of the
proposed railroad would be equivalent to the people of Ohio building
a new bridge to Canada just to avoid traveling through Michigan. The
United States government would never condone this action, and we
should not be in the practice of condoning the actions that would
serve to further isolate Armenia.”

If successful, the bill would be a major blow to the financing of
the railway as neither Georgia or Azerbaijan could afford it on
their own. Meanwhile, the project is gaining a growing diplomatic
symbolism. The Turkish paper The New Anatolian reports Turkish support
for the railway is “thanks for the Azeri government’s support for
ending the embargo against the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
(TRNC).” Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov stressed the
importance of the railway in talks on August 2 with U.S. Secretary of
State Condeleezza Rice.

It will be difficult for either Georgia or Azerbaijan to allot
money for the project and it is believed that Ankara would take on
the bulk of responsibility for financing. But it is very difficult
to predict the U.S. position, whether it will be against or support
an initiative that can be seen as cooperative, economic integration
or unfriendly isolation depending on who is judging. Making matters
more difficult, all four countries involved are strategic partners
for the United States.