Tbilisi, Georgia, Feb. 20
By Nana Kirtzkhalia - Trend:
The strategic partnership and the prospects for intensifying the cooperation between the two countries, as well as the regional projects were discussed in Tbilisi during a meeting between Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.
During the meeting, the sides paid special attention to the issues of trade-economic, energy, cultural and humanitarian cooperation, the Georgian government told Trend.
The importance of Georgia's transport potential and cooperation between the two countries in this area was stressed. The importance of implementing the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway construction project was emphasized.
During the meeting, the sides stressed great potential for the development of economic and trade relations between Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Moreover, the sides discussed the cooperation issues within the international organizations.
Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is being constructed on the basis of the Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. The State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) finances the project in accordance with the Azerbaijani president's decree 'On the implementation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project activities' dated February 21, 2007.
A new 105-kilometer branch of the railroad is being constructed as part of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project. In addition, the railway's Akhalkalaki-Marabda-Tbilisi section is under reconstruction in Georgia that will increase its capacity to 15 million metric tons of cargo per year. A depot is under construction in Akhalkalaki for the transition of trains from the existing tracks in Georgia to the European ones. It is planned to complete the implementation of the project in 2015.
The peak capacity of the corridor will be 17 million metric tons of cargo per year. At the initial stage, this figure will be equal to one million passengers and 6.5 million metric tons of cargo.