Full operation of new Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway section marked as historic milestone, says Georgian Economy Minister

Together with the Azerbaijani side, we have signed an agreement under which the new Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway section will be put into full operation. This is a historic project not only for our country, but also for Azerbaijan, Turkey, and the Middle Corridor countries in general, as well as for China - we are elevating logistics, as well as trade and economic relations, to a completely new level, said on Monday Mariam Kvrivishvili, the minister of economy and sustainable development of Georgia.

As part of the Georgian government delegation’s visit to Azerbaijan, several important agreements were signed, including the protocol of the bilateral coordinating council regarding the new Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway section. The document was signed by Kvrivishvili, and Azerbaijan’s minister of digital development and transport Rashad Nabiyev.

As Kvrivishvili noted, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project has been underway for many years, and its full commissioning had effectively been delayed. However, close cooperation between the Georgian and Azerbaijani sides ensured the completion of the ongoing works in the shortest possible timeframe.

Furthermore, the minister highlighted another important decision made by the Georgian and Azerbaijani sides during the visit to Baku - after a 6-year hiatus, daily passenger rail communication between Tbilisi and Baku will resume on May 26. According to Kvrivishvili’s assessment, this decision will contribute to further deepening economic relations between the countries and will also have a positive impact on the tourism sector.

“It is particularly gratifying that for the first time in six years, the leaders have made another historic decision today, and passenger train operations will resume between the two countries. This will be a crucial step toward strengthening economic relations between our nations. Azerbaijan is a strategic partner for Georgia in terms of tourism, and this will naturally significantly boost tourist flows from Azerbaijan, especially considering that land borders are not operational and we were only able to connect the capitals of the two countries via air travel. Therefore, this decision is historic as well”, Kvrivishvili concluded.