PanARMENIAN.Net

Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway construction to begin in June
30.01.2007 18:01 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Tbilisi, Baku and Ankara ignored `Armenian’ warning
of the U.S.A., Russian `Izvestia’ writes. The construction works of
the strategic Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway will launch in June 2007,
stated the Turkish Ministry if Foreign Affairs today. The MFA
underlined that on February 7 a trilateral frame agreement will be
signed in Tbilisi between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. Turkish
premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be present at the signing ceremony.

`This project, which has strategic importance, will give new impulse
to regional cooperation. The Turkish side will participate in the
construction works with readiness. The railroad will stretch along
Turkish territory, southern parts of the Caucasus, Central Asia and
China joining with Europe,’ says the statement of Turkish
MFA. Authorities underline that according to the plan, the
Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway will be given to exploitation within two
years.

It is worth of special notice that the U.S. Congress banned American
banks to finance the construction of the railroad if it bypasses
Armenia. Washington’s uncompromising stance on the issue was once more
confirmed by U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and
Eurasian Affairs Matthew Bryza. Particularly he stated that if
Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey want to build a railway bypassing
Armenia the U.S. cannot prevent them. But Washington will not assist
it either.