Prospects of new railway between Turkey and Azerbaijan
By Messenger Staff
Thursday, May 6Turkey is preparing to identify the route for a new 7 km rail line which it is planning to construct between Kars (Turkey) and Nakhchivan (Azerbaijan). Sudredin Mamedov, a representative of the Azeri transport ministry stated that this.tender has been announced to select a company which will perform geological works. Karsi-Igdir-Nakhchevan will be an extension of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars rail line and will establish important rail connections between Azerbaijan and its territory of Nakhchevan autonomous republic which is separated from Azerbaijan by Armenia. Meanwhile work continues on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars rail line. The Georgian segment of the rail line is under reconstruction. The project was signed on February 8, 2007.
On May 2 Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu participated in a conference held in Oxford entitled 'Turkish Foreign Policy in the Changing World.' He highlighted that his country wants to normalise relations with Armenia as it is sure that this will facilitate peace in the Caucasus. However achieving this much depends on resolving the problems between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Opening the border between Turkey and Armenia is not enough, as the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia should also be opened, stated Davutoglu, highlighting that resolving this conflict is one of the necessary preconditions for establishing stability in the South Caucasus region.