KARSI-AKHALKALAKI RAILWAY ISSUES

The Messenger
March 11 2010
Georgia

The Karsi-Akhalkalaki railway connecting Turkey to Azerbaijan via
Georgia which is under construction was initiated and financed
by Turkey and Azerbaijan. The appropriate agreement was signed on
February 7, 2007, but some controversies between the two countries
have delayed its implementation. Now however it seems Turkey is
facing some complications and the railway construction might proceed
more intensively.

Armenia was against this project from the very beginning and the
so-called football diplomacy sessions, at which the Presidents
of Armenia and Azerbaijan visited each other’s countries to watch
football matches, have made reopening the borders between Armenia and
Turkey possible. The construction of Karsi-Akhalkalaki almost stopped
completely in 2009 in consequence, however current developments show
that Azerbaijan still needs this railway and Turkey has also realised
the necessity of it, even only as a bargaining tool with Armenia.

The Ministry of Economy of Georgia states that 30-35% of the work on
the Georgian segment is finished but an extra two years are needed to
complete all of it. Georgia is therefore on standby while the major
players clarify their positions.