ANKARA: Armenian Lobby Slams Baku-Kars Railway Project

ARMENIAN LOBBY SLAMS BAKU-KARS RAILWAY PROJECT
By Anadolu News Agency (aa), Washington

Zaman, Turkey
Sept 25 2006

In response to the initiative of the Armenian lobby, the Banking
Committee of the U.S. Senate has accepted a proposal blocking
prospective Washington credit from a railway to be constructed between
Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan, excluding Armenia.

The proposal was drafted by U.S. Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez,
a member of the Armenian lobby.

The proposal was submitted to the general assembly of the senate,
after passing the committee with a unanimous vote. The bill blocks
funds to the Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway project of American Eximbank.

Armenian institutes in the United States expressed their satisfaction
over the decision of the banking committee.

The Yerevan government and the Armenian lobby in the United States
called the plan an economic embargo against Armenia, referring to
the present railway network in Armenia that will not be used in the
railway project.

The Armenian lobby claims that the project will turn out to be
unnecessary and expensive."