Russia , Baku /corr Trend R.Agayev / The Azerbaijan State Railway forecasts the annual volume of cargo transportation under the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project will comprise 15mln tons. Arif Asgarov, the Head of the Azerbaijan State Railway, informed Trend Correspondent in Moscow .
From the economic point of view the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project is very favorable for the Azerbaijan State Railway. " Georgia will announce a tender for financing its section, which requires $200mln. Turkey will construct its railway section at own expense, which is estimated to $220mln. If to launch work in July 2007, as we forecast, within 2 years the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway route can be put into exploitation," he noted.
In February 2007 Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Georgian President Mikhael Saakashvili and the Turkish Prime Minister Rejep Tayyib Erdogan signed an agreement on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway route. It means an exit to China , Mongolia and other Asian countries through Azerbaijan , Georgia and Turkey and reverse.
The Baku-Tbilisi section already exists and Azerbaijan will render a $200mln financial assistance to the construction of a railway section. It is a loan allocated for Georgia for 25 years with an annual rate of 1%.
"I want to note that the Azerbaijani President signed a decree on establishment of a special State Commission, envisaging development of infrastructure of Baku-Boyuk Kasik. In accordance with the decree, the Azerbaijan State Railway is committed to develop and submit relevant proposals," he stressed.