The implementation of the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku railway project is directly related to the project on opening of railway over the Bosporus Strait of the European Union, the Azerbaijani Railway Department told Trend.
The construction of the tunnel over the strait planned from 2007 to 2008. Thus, opening of the railway communication between Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan is due to be started in late 2006. The fund for the implementation of the project is expected to be allocated in the first half-year of 2006. The European Commission and some international finance institutes show interest to the project.
The total value of the Kars-Baku-Tbilisi-Akhalkalaki project comprises around $400m taking into appropriate infrastructure. The length of the railway makes up 98 km with 30 km falling to the Georgian sector, 68 km - the Turkish one.
The working project will be ready by May 2006. The financial issues of the project are supposed to be solved till completion of the working project.