GEORGIA WILL NOT REFUSE FROM KARS-AKHALKALAI RAILWAY DESPITE US POSITION

PanARMENIAN.Net
10.01.2007 18:42 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ The Kars-Akhalkalai railway will be constructed
despite US Congress position, stated Georgian Prime Minister
Gela Bezhuashvili today after the end of the session of Georgian
government. ""The USA has the sovereign right to make such decisions.

Washington refuses to finance the project, but that will be no problem,
the finance may be obtained from other sources," Bejuashvili said.

It’s worth reminding, today Matthew Bryza, the US Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State and OSCE MG American Co-Chair said that he is
against the perception, that the United States opposes to the
Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku railway project after president
George Bush signed the law, which bans to finance that project. In
his words, the United States has always supported projects aimed at
strengthening transportation ties. "We are trying to develop projects,
I am repeating, all the projects, which include all the states along
East-West corridor. Of course, we would like the railway, which
connects Turkey with Baku, to pass through Armenia, since it reflects
our policy. Second, from economic point of view it is more expedient
to connect Turkey and Georgia through Armenian territory. But we
cannot make decisions on that issue. Investors themselves push forward
investment plans, which are more profitable for them. If Azerbaijan,
Turkey and Georgia want to construct a railway, of course, we cannot
object. But we do not particularly support that project. We hope
that in near future we will see such a transportation scheme, which
includes all the countries of the region," said Bryza.