Details added (first version posted on 16:05)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 30
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
The opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is the best example of successful implementation of joint strategic projects, said Georgian Prime Minister Georgi Kvirikashvili addressing the official opening ceremony of the BTK railway in Baku Oct. 30.
He said that the participation of high-level officials from different countries in this ceremony indicates the special strategic importance of this project.
“I am sure that the new railway will change the existing economic realities and create new opportunities for development not only in our region but also beyond its borders,” noted the prime minister.
It can be noted that today the foundation of the new Eurasian bridge is being laid, said Kvirikashvili adding that the BTK railway will connect not only economies but also the peoples of the participating countries and will serve their wellbeing.
“Along with freight traffic, the BTK railway will serve one million passengers per year. The commissioning of the new railway will strengthen the transport and trade status of the region,” added the Georgian prime minister.
Kvirikashvili noted that after the commissioning of the new railway, infrastructure work will be carried out, new markets will be developed and the development of tourism and manufacturing will be provided, new jobs will be created, which is an important factor for the economic development of the region.
The prime minister added that the Georgian side also wants to contribute to the implementation of the “One Belt-One Road” initiative.
“We want Georgia and the region to be fully integrated with the Trans-European transportation network and I am confident that the BTK will play a significant role in achieving this goal,” said the prime minister.
He noted that an international high-level forum on the Silk Road project will be held in Tbilisi on November 28-29.
“This is the second meeting in Georgia,” he said adding that representatives of private and public sectors from more than 40 countries will participate in the event.
The official opening ceremony of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway has been held today in Baku.
The BTK railway was constructed on the basis a Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement.
The railway’s peak capacity will be 17 million tons of cargo per year.