European Union welcomes opening of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway

Baku. 30 October. REPORT.AZ/ The opening of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway is a major step in transport interconnections linking the European Union, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Central Asia.

Report informs, statement came from the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan said.

“The European Union welcomes the new rail corridor which, coupled with investments, improved infrastructure and logistics coordination will provide better connectivity, new business opportunities and increased trade. This is at the heart of its Eastern Partnership as well as of its Central Asia strategy.

The European Union has always supported projects aiming at improving connectivity with its neighbouring Partner countries. With further improvements of transport links between Turkey and Bulgaria as well as between Azerbaijan and Central Asia, this project will provide fast and reliable land connection between Europe and Asia along the ancient Silk Route".

"We are also supporting the Southern Gas Corridor which will provide similar energy interconnection”, press service of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan said.

Notably, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, the construction of which began in 2007, is going to be put into operation today. President Ilham Aliyev, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, as well as officials from other countries and representatives of the transport sector will attend the opening ceremony.