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Kars, Akhalkalaki open trade links
The Messenger, Georgia
June 28 2005
Two of the poorest regions in Georgia and Turkey hope to create jobs
and stimulate economic growth through cooperation By Burcu Gültekin
and Mikael Hertoft*
Turkish and Georgian businessmen and political figures are considering
ways to improve economic relations in the border regions of the
two countries.
With this in mind, businessmen met in early June in Kars to collaborate
on opening the border between Karzakhi and Cildir/Aktas in an effort to
increase the importance of two remote regions in Georgia and Turkey -
Akhalkalaki and Kars.
The issue has been on the agenda of the Turkish and Georgian
governments for several years, and was addressed at the last
Turkish-Georgian Joint Economic Commission.
During the two-day visit a delegation from Samtskhe-Javakheti met
with Mayor of Kars Naif Alibeyoglu, President of the Kars Chamber of
Commerce and Industry Ali Guvensoy and private Turkish businessmen.
The issues of attracting new sources of income, increasing the
amount of workplaces based on cross-border trade, joint investment
and marketing projects, and development of regional tourism were
discussed at the meetings.
It is hoped that through this cross-border cooperation, economic
growth will be stimulated in both regions.
While Kars has suffered in recent years owing to the loss of its
status as a border town after direct land communications between
Turkey and Armenia were severed in 1993, Akhalkalaki today suffers
from its remoteness and very poor infrastructure, and is one of the
poorest regions in Georgia.
The opening of the Karzakhi-Cildir/Aktas border crossing will
place Akhalkalaki at one-hour distance from Kars and should lead to
increased cross-border trade, although for this to happen the road
between Akhalkalaki and the Georgian border town of Karzakhi must
first be rehabilitated.
Local actors on both sides of the border are placing great hope in the
Millennium Challenge Georgia project to renovate the road connection
between the Turkish border and Tbilisi via Akhalkalaki.
Samtskhe-Javakheti region and Eastern Anatolia can be as integrated
as Adjara and the Turkish Black Sea region, they believe, adding that
the Karzakhi border crossing will, as Sarpi did, open a transit trade
route to Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The members of the Samtskhe-Javakheti delegation and their Turkish
counterparts expressed strong support for the Georgian and Turkish
governments in their efforts to open the border post and improve
infrastructure.
The businessmen and political representatives from Kars and
Samtskhe-Javakheti agreed to meet again in Akhalkalaki in the nearest
future to discuss further cooperation.
* Dr. Burcu Gültekin is Europe Coordinator for the Turkish-Armenian
Business Development Council (TABDC); Mikael Hertoft is Program
Manager in Javakheti for the European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI)
--Boundary_(ID_iik7/KEFajj9NX3Lwddx5g)--
The Messenger, Georgia
June 28 2005
Two of the poorest regions in Georgia and Turkey hope to create jobs
and stimulate economic growth through cooperation By Burcu Gültekin
and Mikael Hertoft*
Turkish and Georgian businessmen and political figures are considering
ways to improve economic relations in the border regions of the
two countries.
With this in mind, businessmen met in early June in Kars to collaborate
on opening the border between Karzakhi and Cildir/Aktas in an effort to
increase the importance of two remote regions in Georgia and Turkey -
Akhalkalaki and Kars.
The issue has been on the agenda of the Turkish and Georgian
governments for several years, and was addressed at the last
Turkish-Georgian Joint Economic Commission.
During the two-day visit a delegation from Samtskhe-Javakheti met
with Mayor of Kars Naif Alibeyoglu, President of the Kars Chamber of
Commerce and Industry Ali Guvensoy and private Turkish businessmen.
The issues of attracting new sources of income, increasing the
amount of workplaces based on cross-border trade, joint investment
and marketing projects, and development of regional tourism were
discussed at the meetings.
It is hoped that through this cross-border cooperation, economic
growth will be stimulated in both regions.
While Kars has suffered in recent years owing to the loss of its
status as a border town after direct land communications between
Turkey and Armenia were severed in 1993, Akhalkalaki today suffers
from its remoteness and very poor infrastructure, and is one of the
poorest regions in Georgia.
The opening of the Karzakhi-Cildir/Aktas border crossing will
place Akhalkalaki at one-hour distance from Kars and should lead to
increased cross-border trade, although for this to happen the road
between Akhalkalaki and the Georgian border town of Karzakhi must
first be rehabilitated.
Local actors on both sides of the border are placing great hope in the
Millennium Challenge Georgia project to renovate the road connection
between the Turkish border and Tbilisi via Akhalkalaki.
Samtskhe-Javakheti region and Eastern Anatolia can be as integrated
as Adjara and the Turkish Black Sea region, they believe, adding that
the Karzakhi border crossing will, as Sarpi did, open a transit trade
route to Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The members of the Samtskhe-Javakheti delegation and their Turkish
counterparts expressed strong support for the Georgian and Turkish
governments in their efforts to open the border post and improve
infrastructure.
The businessmen and political representatives from Kars and
Samtskhe-Javakheti agreed to meet again in Akhalkalaki in the nearest
future to discuss further cooperation.
* Dr. Burcu Gültekin is Europe Coordinator for the Turkish-Armenian
Business Development Council (TABDC); Mikael Hertoft is Program
Manager in Javakheti for the European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI)
--Boundary_(ID_iik7/KEFajj9NX3Lwddx5g)--