Information on Kars-Akhalkalaki-Baku line inexpedience resembles bluff

PanARMENIAN.Net - Reports on inexpedience of Kars-Akhalkalaki-Baku are far from being real and resemble a bluff, said a contributing analyst at Jane's Information Group.



"Turkey just offered to build a new Kars-Gyumri line to engage Armenia into the project. At that, it doesn't imply repair of the existing track but construction of a new one," Richard Giragosian commented to a PanARMENIAN.Net reporter.



Reports say that during the September 16 coordination council meeting, the Turkish side questioned advisability of the project in connection with the recent regional development.



In total 98 kilometers (61 mi), the line is supposed to be built between Kars and Akhalkalaki, with 68 kilometers (42 mi) within Turkey and 30 kilometers (19 mi) in Georgia. The existing line from Akhalkalaki on to Tbilisi and Baku will be modernized.



For the construction of the railroad on Georgian territory, Azerbaijan is providing a US$220 million loan, repayable in 25 years, with an annual interest rate of only 1%.