AZG Armenian daily
28/09/2005
By Nana Petrosian
KARS-GYUMRI-TBILISI-BAKU RAILROAD A CHANCE FOR STABLE DEVELOPMENT OF 4
STATES
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC)
held its regular session in Kishinev on September 21-22. Delegations of
Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Romania, Ukraine, Greece, Moldova and Turkey
discussed Georgia’s report titled “Development of road infrastructures in
the Black Sea region”. “As a railroad corridor for TRASECA project, another
important project, construction of Kars-Akhalkalak-Tbilisi-Baku was
launched. The project envisages construction of 98 km long railway from Kars
to Akhalkalak which will allow transport goods from Asia to Europe bypassing
Bosphorus and Hellespont”, reads the report.
Gagik Minasian, head of the Armenian delegation, said that they insisted
that the following wording about Armenia be included in the political
program of the PABSEC: “As an additional corridor for TRASECA the
rehabilitation of Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi-Baku can be viewed that will allow to
transports millions of tones of goods from Europe to Asia and the other way
round. Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi-Baku railway passes though 4 countries of the
region. Its reopening will allow to spur economic integration and stable
development in the 4 countries”. Minasian also underscored that this project
does not need capital investments.
Gagik Minasian sees development of Armenia-Turkey and Armenia-Azerbaijan
cooperation separately of each other. “The Turkish diplomacy is willing to
see Armenian-Turkish relations that are not unconditioned by relations with
Azerbaijan, and we have to embrace this chance of implementing our policy
with Turkey in a way that it is not dictated by our relations with
Azerbaijan. We have big chances in this regard”, Minasian said.