Minister Ramaz Nikolaishvili: Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway will be ready in 2013

Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway assumes great importance for Azerbaijan and Georgia, said Georgian Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure Ramaz Nikolaishvili.

To him, the construction work is currently carried out in Marabda-Kartsakhi. The Minister noted that construction work would continue for two years: “Now, despite the unfavorable weather, the work is being continued for 24 hours a day - day and night. Azerbaijan companies are working accurately. The new railway line is being built on border with Turkey. I think that the construction will be successfully completed next year. We will handover Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway in 2013”.

Remind that, the final document between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey on the construction of BTC was signed on February 8, 2007, in Tbilisi. For the construction of the Georgian section of the railway company Azerbaijan has allocated soft loan worth 200 million dollars (for 25 years at 1% per annum) to Georgia’s “Railway Marabda-Kartsakhi” LLC. These funds will be spent to construction of 29 km long-new road in Georgia, wheel changing point o border with Turkey, as well as to reconstruction of old road.

In addition, Azerbaijan allocated loan worth $ 575 million at 5% per annum for other constructions in Georgia. The project is funded by the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan.


/APA/