Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 30
Trend:
Some foreign circles did not believe in the implementation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, said President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev addressing the opening ceremony of the BTK railway in Baku Oct. 30.
“They believed that this would not be possible and the technical facilities and financial resources necessary for that would not allow the project to be implemented. However, the three countries have shown and proved that this is possible,” said President Aliyev. “It is possible to do the all work when there is strong will, mutual support, and confidence in each other. The construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is a clear example of this. I am sure that Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, which make the greatest contribution to regional cooperation, will continue to support each other.”
President Aliyev said that the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is the shortest and safest route connecting Europe to Asia.
“Through this route, it is expected to transport 5 million tons at the first stage, 17 million tons at the next stage, and then larger volumes of cargo,” noted the president. “In short, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is becoming an important part of Eurasia’s transport map.”
He said that trade turnover and mutual investments between the countries along the railway will increase, cooperation between the countries using the railroad will deepen, and the railroad will serve stability and security.
President Aliyev expressed confidence that with the use of the BTK railway, the development of tourism will gain a large scale and the number of tourists will increase.
“Naturally, the successful operation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway will enhance the geopolitical significance of our countries and create additional opportunities for us. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway will be very important for the development of business, mutually beneficial cooperation,” said the Azerbaijani president.
The head of state noted that big projects as the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway reinforce the three countries’ unity and friendship.
“Central Asia, Kazakhstan are showing great interest in this railway project. The participation of delegations, high-ranking officials from Central Asia and Kazakhstan in this ceremony clearly demonstrates this,” said President Aliyev. “We are confident that there will be additional opportunities for the transportation of goods. Traditional friendly relations of our countries with Central Asian countries will also be strengthened with the help of this railway.”