BSEC PA: Turkish MPs Voted for Launching Kars-Gyumri Railway

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Black Sea Economic Cooperation Parliamentary Assembly (BSEC PA) during a session in Tirana (Albania) seconded the Armenian delegation's proposal to launch the Kars-Gyumri-Tbilisi-Baku railway. The major motive of the Armenian party is the railway that can connect the 4 states of the region - Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, but which is idle because of Turkey. BSEC PA Armenian delegation head, Chairman of Standing Parliamentary Commission on Fiscal and Budget Affairs Gagik Minasyan assured that the Turkish delegation itself voted for the proposal of the Armenian party. It should be noted that Turkey has blocked the traffic via that main line owing to the Karabakh conflict, as well as historically hostile relations with Armenia. At present Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan plan to build a new railway - Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku, which bypasses Armenian Gyumri town. However, the Armenian population of Akhalkalaki Georgian town intends to counteract the project in question, which was not approved by the US and EU countries either. The BSEC PA includes Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, reported IA Regnum.