PROSPECTS OF BAKU-TBILISI-KARS RAILWAY
The Messenger
May 28 2009
Georgia
Now, when negotiations over the opening of the Armenian-Turkish
borders are being conducted, the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars
railway, which is against Armenian interests, has become a very
important issue. Yerevan has been insisting since the Kars project
was agreed that the existing Kars-Gumri (Armenia) railway, which has
not functioned since 1993 when Armenia occupied Azeri territories,
should be rehabilitated, particularly since the Russian aggression
against, and occupation of, Georgia in 2008 have made Georgia seem
a less reliable transit country.
Against the background of the world financial crisis the
Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway construction could face certain
problems. Construction was once started but then stopped due to
severe climate conditions. Now it has been started again and should
be finished by mid-2011, at a projected cost of USD 422 million.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
