Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway Coordination Council Meeting Held in Tbilisi

Tbilisi hosts the 7th session of the Coordination Council of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway.

The Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development in Georgia Dimitri Kumsishvili, Minister of Transport, Maritime and Communication of Turkey Binali Yildirim and Minister of Transportation for Azerbaijan Ziya Mammadov sat together in Tbilisi to discuss the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and adopt an important decision for its completion in the short term.

Georgia’s Economy Minister highlighted that those new transportation infrastructure projects are very important for the stimulation of international shipments, trade and economic relations.

At the meeting Kumsishvili emphasized the importance of the new railway line, part of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project, and said it will promote the growth of cargo between Europe and Asia, involving participant countries in the international transport system and will ensure the stability of the Georgian economy. He also highlighted that the Georgian section of the railway will be completed this year.

The Turkish Minister for Transport, Maritime and Communication, Binali Yildrim, called the project a dream and emphasized the importance of its fast accomplishment.

‘I had a meeting with Georgia’s PM and my Georgian counterpart. We have had many useful and interesting meetings, discussed many issues of bilateral relations. We have emphasized that Georgia and Turkey have ideal relations. A strategic council gathering will be held in April and many interesting agreements will be signed,” Yildirim commented.

‘I hope a train will cross Caucasus by the end of the year that will revive the historical Silk Road,’ he added.

According to Binali the project’s cost is several billion as it passes a very complex route and covers 800 km.