PROSPECTS OF NEW RAILWAY BETWEEN TURKEY AND AZERBAIJAN
By Messenger Staff

The Messenger
May 6 2010
Georgia

Turkey is preparing to identify the route for a new 7 km rail
line which it is planning to construct between Kars (Turkey) and
Nakhchivan (Azerbaijan). Sudredin Mamedov, a representative of the
Azeri transport ministry stated that this.tender has been announced
to select a company which will perform geological works.

Karsi-Igdir-Nakhchevan will be an extension of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars
rail line and will establish important rail connections between
Azerbaijan and its territory of Nakhchevan autonomous republic which
is separated from Azerbaijan by Armenia. Meanwhile work continues on
the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars rail line. The Georgian segment of the rail line
is under reconstruction. The project was signed on February 8, 2007.

On May 2 Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu participated in
a conference held in Oxford entitled ‘Turkish Foreign Policy in the
Changing World.’ He highlighted that his country wants to normalise
relations with Armenia as it is sure that this will facilitate peace
in the Caucasus. However achieving this much depends on resolving
the problems between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Opening the border between Turkey and Armenia is not enough, as the
border between Azerbaijan and Armenia should also be opened, stated
Davutoglu, highlighting that resolving this conflict is one of the
necessary preconditions for establishing stability in the South
Caucasus region.