Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr I. Khalilova / Turkish Project company Yuksel Domonik will submit its documents on the construction of a main railroad linking the Turkish-Azerbaijani boarder with Akhalkalaki, Georgia by the end of May.
The Azerbaijani Deputy Transport Minister Musa Panahov reported to correspondents on 16 May that the cost of the purchase of land as well as its construction will be included in Yuksel Domonik's package deal. "The feasibility study and tender documents on the construction of the railway will be submitted by the end of June," Panahov said. The railway will be built within the framework of the Baku ( Azerbaijan)- Tbilisi ( Georgia)- Kars ( Turkey) railway project. According to Panahov, Azerbaijani and Turkish transport workers will jointly consider the project by Yuksel Domonik by the end of May. "Any comments will be taken into consideration by the Yuksel Domonik and a tender will be announced to obtain a contractor for its construction," Panahov noted.
From the Azerbaijani side, the Ministry of Transport is the co-ordinator of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project. $200mln credit will be allotted to the Georgian Government by the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan through the Ministry for the implementation of the project in the country.
The work at Akhalkalaki station will be carried out simultaneously. "Technical examination of the trains and lines will be held. This expanded project will be ready in July," he said.
After development of the feasibility study by the Yuksel Domonik, a tender will be announced for (1) the construction of the railroad linking then Turkish-Georgian boarder and Akhalkalaki and (2) the development of the Akhalkalaki station.
"Financing of the construction of part of the railway in Georgia by Azerbaijan has not yet begun. Credit will be available after the development of the project, the feasibility study has been passed and the tender has been announced. Control over the implementation of the project must also be financed," Panahov added.
A meeting of the representatives of the transport administration of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey was held in Baku on 15 May in which the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was discussed.
The minister regarded the meeting as very productive which covered all components of the project. The meeting took reports by the Turkish specialists, who spoke about current state of the project.