GEORGIA CONTRIBUTES TO THE ISOLATION OF ARMENIA
PanARMENIAN.Net
18.10.2006 GMT+04:00
Implementation of Kars-Aqhalqhalak-Tbilisi-Baku project can get under
way, regardless the counteraction of the banking commission of the
USA Senate.
The decision of the banking commission of the USA Senate concerning
the fact that the export and import Bank of the USA will not grant
any insurance arrangements, loan or any other financing for the
railway construction of Kars-Aqhalqhalak-Tbilisi-Baku led Tbilisi into
doubt-Georgian Government has seriously thought over the expediency
of the realization of Kars-Aqhalqhalak-Tbilisi-Baku project.
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The explanation to it is a simple one-Mikhail
Saakashvili does not want on any account to do what is against the
will of the USA. Indeed, lately the policy of Georgia more and more
has been evoking the displeasure of the USA. It is not by chance
that President of Georgia has turned for help to GUAM (Georgia,
Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldavia) and Europe in adjustment of
disputes. But these are the particulars. The essential thing is
that Kars-Aqhalqhalak-Tbilisi-Baku railway can become the second
Baku-Tbilisi-Ghehyan (BTG), since Kazakhstan is sure to join in its
construction and, most probably China will as well. The long and the
short of it is that something like Transeastern express will come
out of it. Indeed, as for any grand project implementation, first
of all stability and security of the road sites are needed. But that
is exactly what the countries are yet unable to guarantee. By prior
agreement each country bears the responsibility for its site of the
permanent way and if, God forbid, the rails detonate or if something
gets out of order, Georgia, Azerbaijan, or Turkey will have to pay off
separately. On the whole, maybe nothing like that will ever happen,
but commercial projects of that sort are always calculated to details
and even the most unforeseen consequences are taken into account.
According to Turkish-Azerbaijan calculation the construction will
cost more than 400 million dollars.
The implementation of the construction works should already launch in
January 2007, as all the participants promise. At least Z. Mamedov,
head of Azerbaijan transportation department in Baku and Binali
Iyildirim, the minister of transportation and communication of Turkey
have announced so in Baku.
Besides, it should be particularly underscored that the works will
commence even in case if only Azerbaijan and Turkey are ready to invest
in the project ("Trend"). Projects of three important documents were
considered in the course of the trilateral negotiations that took
place in Baku: framework agreement on the project, obligations of the
Georgian side concerning the taking of the site under construction
of the railway, as well as credit agreement among Azerbaijan, Georgia
and Turkey, and on the whole mutual understanding has been reached.
Turkey is ready to single out its allotment for the construction that
makes 220 million dollars, and Azerbaijan gives 200 million dollars
for the repair of Aqhalqhalak-Baku road site. 200 million dollars are
spent on the maintenance of "parallel’ engineering, of communication
and transport infrastructures, service stations, trans-shipment
junctions, etc. and all that is carried out in a natural way. That
is to say it already makes approximately 500-600 million dollars.
It is quite possible that the cost of the project will reach 1 milliard
dollars. But in Baku and Ankara everybody knows well enough that for
the isolation of Armenia any money can be paid. By the way, that is
what they do not without the help of Georgia.
"PanARMENIAN.Net" analytical department