Azerbaijani president: BTK is the shortest and most reliable route connecting Europe with Asia

I congratulate you on launch of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway (BTK). This festive ceremony is attended by guests from fraternal and friendly countries. President of Turkey, Prime Ministers of Georgia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, representatives from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are participating in the ceremony. This proves significance of the project, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in the ceremony on launch of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line.

The president noted that this is a historical project: "The BTK is t shortest and most reliable route connecting Europe with Asia. It’s planned to carry 5 million tonnes of cargo in the first stage, 17 million tonnes in the next stage. BTK becomes a significant part of Eurasia’s transport line. This route will serve stability, security, increase of investments and development of tourism. Successful operation of this line will increase the geopolitical significance of our countries. In 2006 we opened Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline. This pipeline connects the Caspian Sea with the Mediterranean Sea. This pipeline transports oil extracted from the eastern section of e Caspian Sea. Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, which was constructed with cooperation of three countries, has been operating for 10 years. These three countries have also united their electricity lines”.

The head of state noted that BTK is a result of fraternity, friendship of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia: "These countries constitute significant projects for regional and world countries. Currently, the Southern Gas Corridor is being successfully implemented. Nearly 60 percent of TAP has been completed. Had we not implemented oil and gas projects before, we would have only spoken about the BTK”.

Icmal.Az