President Aliyev: North-South Transport Corridor may be commissioned within 2-3 years

By  Trend

The North-South Transport Corridor may be put into operation in the shortest possible time, maybe within 2-3 years, said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

He made the remarks addressing the opening ceremony of the international conference titled “2017 – Year of Islamic Solidarity: Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue” in Baku Dec. 21.

"Azerbaijan is turning into a very important transport center in the region," the president said. “The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, commissioned two months ago, connected continents - Asia and Europe - in the shortest possible way.”

“Currently we are working on the North-South Transport Corridor,” the president said. “There are also very important results in this work. We are waiting for further results by the end of the year in order to commission this transport corridor together with neighboring countries in the shortest period - maybe within 2-3 years."

President Aliyev added that afterwards, railways will pass through Azerbaijan from the East to the West and vice versa, and from the North to the South and vice versa.

"This will bring us additional economic benefits and, of course, political dividends,” the president said. “This will have a serious positive impact on regional cooperation.”

“But at the same time, I am sure this will positively affect the topic of our today's conference because I think that talks only are not enough for interethnic, interreligious, intercultural dialogue,” the president added. “There must be concrete projects, concrete interests, conformity and balance of interests and interdependence. The projects we are implementing in the region ensure mutual interests.”