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Zerkalo: Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was to be commissioned in 2009;
however it will not work in 2014 as well
18:55 26/10/2013 » ECONOMY
"The President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili completes tenure on his
position. In his speech, he expressed great regret that he could not
launch the project of commissioning of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway
during his presidency," Azerbaijani newspaper "Zerkalo" reads.
The publication reminded that the construction work of Georgian
section of BTK railway kicked off on November 21, in 2007.
The presidents of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey - Ilham Aliyev,
Mikheil Saakashvili and Abdullah Gul - signed a symbolic document on
launching the BTK construction. The document was placed in a capsule,
and laid at the foundation of the railway.
"The agreement on starting the BTC construction was signed in Tbilisi
on February 7, in 2007, and it was expected that they will complete
the work by the end of 2009. Unfortunately, the BTK will not be put
into operation neither in this, nor in the upcoming year. It is
therefore surprising when senior officials claim that the construction
works continue in accordance with the approved schedule," wrote
Zerkalo writes.
As stated by the head of the transport policy of the Ministry of
Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Ketevan Salukvadze,
while talking about the implementation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars
railway project said that Georgian section of the railway will be
completed in 2015 according to the current timetable. According to
her, today 78% of the work on the first section (Marabda-Tetritskaro)
is completed, as well as 54% of the work in the second section
(Tetritskaro-Tsalka), 23% of the work in the third section
(Tsalka-Akhalkalaki), 9% of the work on the fourth area (train
station), 39% of the work on the railway station and 33% of the work
on the fifth plot line (Akhalkalaki-Kartsakhi).
Salukvadze noted that the total cost of the project in Georgia makes $
767 million. In the framework of the "Baku-Tbilisi-Kars" a new
105-kilometer railway branch is planned to be constructed. In
addition, Georgia will be reconstructed Akhalkalaki-Marabda-Tbilisi
railway section, which will increase its capacity to 15 million tons
of cargo a year. In the future, with the completion of the Marmaray
project (construction of a tunnel under the Bosporus) access to Europe
will be provided by using the railway line of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars.
In his turn, the general director of the "Marabda-Kartsakhi" company
Oleg Bichiashvili stated that the BTK construction goes on at an
accelerated pace, but is unlikely to be used for the withdrawal of
NATO's military cargo from Afghanistan. The head of the company, who
leads the project of construction of the Georgian section of the
railway, got acquainted with the work on the future highway, on
Thursday during the day. "In 2014 withdrawal of troops and supplies
from Afghanistan is planned to be implemented, the opening of the
railway is unlikely to happen before 2015," Oleg Bichiashvili told the
reporters.
Source: Panorama.am
however it will not work in 2014 as well
18:55 26/10/2013 » ECONOMY
"The President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili completes tenure on his
position. In his speech, he expressed great regret that he could not
launch the project of commissioning of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway
during his presidency," Azerbaijani newspaper "Zerkalo" reads.
The publication reminded that the construction work of Georgian
section of BTK railway kicked off on November 21, in 2007.
The presidents of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey - Ilham Aliyev,
Mikheil Saakashvili and Abdullah Gul - signed a symbolic document on
launching the BTK construction. The document was placed in a capsule,
and laid at the foundation of the railway.
"The agreement on starting the BTC construction was signed in Tbilisi
on February 7, in 2007, and it was expected that they will complete
the work by the end of 2009. Unfortunately, the BTK will not be put
into operation neither in this, nor in the upcoming year. It is
therefore surprising when senior officials claim that the construction
works continue in accordance with the approved schedule," wrote
Zerkalo writes.
As stated by the head of the transport policy of the Ministry of
Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Ketevan Salukvadze,
while talking about the implementation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars
railway project said that Georgian section of the railway will be
completed in 2015 according to the current timetable. According to
her, today 78% of the work on the first section (Marabda-Tetritskaro)
is completed, as well as 54% of the work in the second section
(Tetritskaro-Tsalka), 23% of the work in the third section
(Tsalka-Akhalkalaki), 9% of the work on the fourth area (train
station), 39% of the work on the railway station and 33% of the work
on the fifth plot line (Akhalkalaki-Kartsakhi).
Salukvadze noted that the total cost of the project in Georgia makes $
767 million. In the framework of the "Baku-Tbilisi-Kars" a new
105-kilometer railway branch is planned to be constructed. In
addition, Georgia will be reconstructed Akhalkalaki-Marabda-Tbilisi
railway section, which will increase its capacity to 15 million tons
of cargo a year. In the future, with the completion of the Marmaray
project (construction of a tunnel under the Bosporus) access to Europe
will be provided by using the railway line of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars.
In his turn, the general director of the "Marabda-Kartsakhi" company
Oleg Bichiashvili stated that the BTK construction goes on at an
accelerated pace, but is unlikely to be used for the withdrawal of
NATO's military cargo from Afghanistan. The head of the company, who
leads the project of construction of the Georgian section of the
railway, got acquainted with the work on the future highway, on
Thursday during the day. "In 2014 withdrawal of troops and supplies
from Afghanistan is planned to be implemented, the opening of the
railway is unlikely to happen before 2015," Oleg Bichiashvili told the
reporters.
Source: Panorama.am