The Messenger, Georgia
Feb 15 2013
Azerbaijan, Armenia and the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway
By Messenger Staff
Friday, February 15
Azerbaijan’s Minister of Transport Ziya Mammadov said the Azeri
government will not allow Armenia to use the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway
until the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan is solved. Mammadov
stressed that the “aggressor” country of Armenia “which currently
occupies Azeri territory” will never be allowed to use a railway
initiated and built by Azerbaijan. The Minister made this statement
during the meeting of Eastern Partnership countries’ ministers of
transportation in Tbilisi on February 13th. Armenia has occupied the
Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan since 1994, after a six-year war
between the two countries.
Mammadov made the statement in response to a comment from Armenian
Deputy Minister of Transport Artashes Avetisyan, who expressed his
country’s readiness to join the project and use the railway.
Despite Mammadov’s strong statements Armenian government
representatives repeated that Armenian companies hope to use the
Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway after its completion. They said the decision
to allow the transportation of Armenian goods through the Georgian
-Armenian railway corridor and onwards to Turkey is the Georgian
government’s decision. Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is expected to be
completed later in 2013.
Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Kajoyan Gevork. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
Direct link to this article: https://www.armenianclub.com/2013/02/17/tbilisi-azerbaijan-armenia-and-the-baku-tbilisi-kars-railway/