16:17 - 30.10.2017

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The solemn ceremony of commissioning of railway line Baku-Tbilisi-Kars has started in Baku.

At the ceremony Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars is a historical and strategic project and is the shortest route connecting Europe with Asia.

"The railroad will carry 5 million tons at primary stage and 17 million tons of cargo at subsequent stages. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Project is turning into a significant part of the Eurasian transport map that will serve to ensure stability and security, increase mutual investments and development of tourism," President Aliyev said.

He added that construction of railway line Baku-Tbilisi-Kars is the result of friendly and fraternal relationships between Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia.

"Those countries implement projects of regional and global significance. Currently, the project of the Southern Gas Corridor is also being implemented successfully, and the TAP project has been completed almost by 60%. We could hardly talk about the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Project if we had not implemented relevant oil and gas projects," he said.

The ceremony of sending the first train from the Baku International Trade Port involve President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, the Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev of Kazakhstan, Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili of Georgia, and Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov of Uzbekistan.