OIL PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION FROM BAKU TO CEYHAN VIA YEREVAN WOULD COST 30% LESS THAN BAKU-TBILISI-CEYHAN PROJECT

PanARMENIAN.Net - "Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway project is political but not economic as the distance Kars-Tbilisi-Baku and Kars-Yerevan-baku is almost the same", Co-Chairman of the Council of Armenian-Turkish Relations Development Council Kaan Soyak stated in Yerevan. In his words, the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline is not an economic project either, since the construction of a similar Baku-Yerevan-Ceyhan pipeline would cost 20-30% less. "However every state is pursuing its own objectives; and the construction of the BTC was started on the assumption of such aims." Soyak said he is sure that taking into account today's Armenian-Turkish relations the Kars-Tbilisi-Baku railway project will be approved and implemented. The Turkish businessman also stated that both parties still have the time for trying to correct bilateral relations. At the same time Soyak did not agree with the opinion that the building of the railway can be viewed as pressure exerted by Turkey upon Armenia, as, in his words, both Armenia and Turkey are under pressure of different states and organizations.