Armenia's exclusion from major railway project not within Georgian authorities’ competence – expert
The recently launched Tbilisi-Baku-Kars railway is not only of regional but also global significance as it connects Georgia with Western China and Kazakhstan apart from its regional neighbors (Azerbaijan, Turkey etc), according to a Tbilisi-based expert.
Speaking to Tert.am, Gela Vasadze expressed his regret that Armenia is excluded from the regional project because of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflict with Azerbaijan. Meantime he admitted that the region would develop differently if not the land dispute.
Asked whether Russia is positively disposed to the railway's opening, he ruled out any problems with the country. “If the Tbilisi-Baku-Kars highway extended to Iran via Armenia, making the country part of the project, it might certainly create problems for Russia as there would be competition. But there isn’t any decision of the kind now,” he added.
Vasadze further highlighted the economic component of the project, ruling out any political implications.
“This is not a megaproject. It is, of course, possible to find political pretexts behind any economic issue, but I don’t think this is the case now. Logistic routes never serve as a springboard for resolving political problems. There are numerous routes of the kind, which could have provided key to political problems if any so that we wouldn’t need to launch a new one [route] now,” he noted.
Asked whether Georgian authorities’ mediation would be of help to Armenia in case the country ever decides to use the railway to transport freight, the expert said, “I thought it was possible. In my earlier interviews, I did really address those chances. But that met the Azerbaijani media’s reaction ruling out that possibility on the grounds that Azerbaijan had agreed to the railway’s construction on condition that they would themselves deal with the management. That's to say, Azerbaijan is to decide who can transport freight. So, all that depends upon Azerbaijan. If Armenia and Azerbaijan conduct negotiations, it may really be possible” Vasadze said.
He added that despite the Azerbaijani authorities’ repeated claims ruling out Armenia’s participation in the project, he does not see real obstacles to such processes.
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