“The new section of the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway has entered full operation,” reads the statement released by Georgia’s Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development.

According to the ministry, Georgian Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Mariam Kvrivishvili and Azerbaijan’s Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev signed the protocol of the bilateral Coordinating Council in Baku today.

“This brings to a successful conclusion the historic, years-long process of implementing the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway project, a strategic initiative whose foundations were laid in 2007 through the joint efforts of Georgia and the Republic of Azerbaijan. The signing was preceded by months of negotiations between the parties, and it was through the strong political will, close coordination and intensive joint work of Georgia and the Republic of Azerbaijan that all remaining issues were successfully resolved.

It should be noted that over the years, the project was accompanied by numerous technical, infrastructural, legal and organisational challenges that hindered its full completion and entry into full-scale operation, all of which have now been successfully overcome.

The Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway is a joint strategic project of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey, founded upon a shared vision, regional partnership and the common goal of strengthening sustainable connectivity between Asia and Europe. The project reaffirms once again that regional infrastructure initiatives of this scale can only be realised through joint effort, coordination and partnership.

The Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway today represents one of the key components of the Middle Corridor; it plays a particularly important role in shaping modern, reliable and competitive transport and logistics routes between Asia and Europe. The significance of the project is growing all the more against the backdrop of increasing freight flows between China and Europe and heightened international interest in the Middle Corridor.
The full-scale operation of the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway significantly reduces freight transit times between Asia and Europe to approximately ten days, whilst the corridor’s annual throughput capacity reaches five million tonnes. This reality creates opportunities for the expansion of regional trade, the growth of transit potential and the further deepening of economic cooperation.

The project also significantly strengthens the role of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey as regional logistics and transport hubs, ensuring reliable and efficient connectivity between East and West.

Of particular importance is the fact that the Georgian Railway will operate the Georgian section of the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway, which underscores the pivotal role of Georgia and Georgian railway infrastructure in ensuring the efficient, sustainable and competitive functioning of the Middle Corridor,” the statement reads.