The Russian, Azerbaijani and Armenian deputy prime ministers will meet today in Moscow to discuss the transport communications construction issue.
Vice Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev will represent Azerbaijan, Alexei Overchuk Russia, and Mher Grigoryan Armenia.
The parties will discuss the construction of a railway, which will connect the main territory of Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Russia, and Armenia.
Also today, Armenian PM Nikol Pashynian will meet the Iranian Foreign Minister in Yerevan, where the same issue is at the top of the agenda with one essential difference: Armenia is trying not to allow the construction of the corridor which will connect Russia to Turkey via Azerbaijan through the Meghri region.
Iran and Azerbaijan agreed to increase the volume of railway freight, with the agreement envisaging increasing the volume of railway freight to two million tons annually (480,000 tons were transported in 2020), promoting the development of railways, and exchanging knowledge in the field of the railway.
Information on the railway traffic scheme is available here.
New features are emerging on the economic map of the region, with this creating a new reality. The majority of specialists believe that the new logistic routes cannot significantly affect Georgia's transit potential. In their words, the route passes through the mountainous regions and increases transportation time and expenses; consequently, this corridor will not prove good enough to compete with its cheaper alternative, the BTK.
In order for Georgia to remain 'an influential player in this game,' in experts' words, the country must establish a joint enterprise on the Kars railway (with this being provided for in the agreement with Azerbaijan), as according to experts, foreign investments will be carried out here. Additionally, the Akhalkalaki railway station must become a pivot element of the European and Russian railway systems.
Experts deem the maintenance of Georgia's transit function as crucial in the region; furthermore, they can see the unique opportunity of Georgia's de-occupation in the Silk Road project.
