The Anatolian Times
Published: 9/18/2005

Istanbul To Host A Meeting About Kars – Javakheti – Tbilisi – Baku Railway
Project
ANKARA – Turkey will host a meeting on September 19th in which recent
developments about Kars-Javakheti (Ahilkelek)-Tbilisi-Baku Railway Project
will be discussed.
Turkish Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim, Transportation Minister
Ziya Mammadov of Azerbaijan and Economics & Infrastructure Minister Irakli
Chogovadze of Georgia will be in attendance at the meeting.
The project aims to set up a direct railway line between Turkey and Georgia,
and between Turkey and Azerbaijan via Georgia.
Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia signed a memorandum of understanding on
December 28th, 2004 to put the project into force.
The sides established a working group, and decided to hold a meeting on the
ministerial level.
Meanwhile, presidents of the three countries signed a statement about the
project during the inauguration of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline
project on May 25th, 2005.
The statement stressed that the project would further develop
Eurasia-Caucasia-Asia transportation corridor, and contribute to efforts to
revive the historical Silk Road.