"The project of the Kars-Ahalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku railway line construction is implemented by the will of three Presidents: of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia, who signed on 25 May the Baku Declaration on the project implementation”, deputy Transport Minister of Azerbaijan Musa Panahov said, commenting on the report on developing the document by the US Senate on ceasing funding of the project.
В"It is not the first steps in this direction. On the initiative of the Armenian lobby a number of measures against implementation of this project is performed, which are not politically motivated, as it is an economic project. The route is the branch of the Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA) transport corridor, which will enable to perform railway freight traffic from Asia to Europe”, he underlined.
Panahov noted, by directives of Presidents the works on the project implementation are underway. "The projects’ Feasibility Study is elaborated and it will be finished till late December. Its working draft will be ready till the May 2006. The issue of financing will be solved during this period. There are some proposals in this respect”, Panahov said.
Deputy Minister noted also, the station’s transfer in Ahalkalaki with the Armenian majority is not supposed. "It is planned, on the Turkish area till Ahalkalaki (the Georgian border) the railway will be built in line with the European standards”, Panahov concluded.