ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
January 18, 2007 Thursday 02:37 AM EST
Armenia ready to open border with Turkey to join KATB rlw
Armenia “is ready to open the border with Turkey” in order to join
a railway that will link Turkey with Georgia and Azerbaijan, Armenian
Deputy Foreign Minister Gyegam Garibdzhanyan said in Yerevan.
In a talk with Georgian journalists (broadcast by several
Tbilisi-based TV channels on Thursday), Garibdzhanyan said, “A Kars
(Turkey)- Gyumri (Armenia) – Akhalkalaki (Georgia) railway is already
in existence but it has been out of operation ever since the break-up
of the Soviet Union. If the border between Armenia and Turkey is
open, the railway will be able to resume operation”. “Armenia is
prepared to open the border with Turkey and is ready for
counterproposals,” he emphasized.
Georgia, Turkey, and Azerbaijan have been discussing the question of
building a Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku (KATB) railway since the end
of the 1990s. The talks became particularly active last year when
basic documents to this effect were signed.
The interest in the project has been prompted by the fact that the US
Congress declared against the financing of the project by American
banks and KATB companies. Experts say this is accounted for by the
influence of the US Armenian community, who come out against the
railway project’s bypassing Armenia.
Last year, Azerbaijan leaders several times declared against
Armenia’s participation in the project. Last week, Georgia and
Azerbaijan, at talks in Tbilisi, fixed a draft document on KATB
construction. On Wednesday, the government of Georgia approved the
draft document, which is to be referred to the Heads of State of the
two countries for endorsement.
Georgy Arveladze, Georgian Minister of Economic Development, said
Wednesday, “Azerbaijan will grant an easy-term one-percent credit of
$300 million to Georgia for a term of 25 years for the rehabilitation
and construction of the Georgian section of the KATB railway. Georgia
will fully repay the credit resultant of revenue from KATB railway
operation”.
The overall cost of the KATB railway is $422 million. The rest of
funds ($222 million) for KATB construction will be allocated and
spent by Turkey, where a 75-kilometre railway line will be built. The
KATB project provides for the rehabilitation of a 192-km railway in
Georgia and construction of a 29-km railway line from Akhalkalaki to
the border with Turkey.