Expert: Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway - connecting bridge between Europe & Asia

The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is a very important regional strategic project, which is a reflection of the close ties between Georgia and Azerbaijan. This project is a connecting bridge between Europe and Asia, which makes it possible to attract cargo from different countries, Nikoloz Khatiashvili, foreign policy research fellow at the Georgian analytical center Geocase.

"China and Asia in general are actively trading with Europe using various transport corridors, including sea routes and the northern route through Russia. The ongoing war in Ukraine has fundamentally changed the geopolitical situation in the world, which has affected trade and the economy. As the transit of goods through Russia is decreasing, the cargo turnover along the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkiye corridor is increasing daily,” he said.

The expert added that the growth in the volume of cargo transportation along the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkiye corridor will significantly increase the income of these countries, create more jobs and have a positive impact on the economy. In addition, it will increase the security of the entire region.

Khatiashvili also spoke about the role of Georgia in the normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia. "The tension between Azerbaijan and Armenia is a serious security challenge for the South Caucasus. It is in the interests of all parties to solve this problem. Against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine, we see that Russia’s influence is decreasing. Azerbaijani and Armenian politicians have the opportunity to sit down together and solve this problem,” he said, recalling the meetings between the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia, organized by the head of the EU Council, Charles Michel.

"In these circumstances, Georgia plays a unique role. Georgia is a neighbor of both sides. Georgia has a strategic partnership with Azerbaijan, as well as good and friendly relations with Armenia. There is a high level of trust and respect for Tbilisi in Baku and Yerevan. Georgia can act as an intermediary, and Tbilisi can become a kind of negotiating platform,” the expert added.

In his opinion, Georgia has a real potential for effective mediation in the process of normalizing relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

According to Khatiashvili, in recent months, the EU’s strategic goal has been to reduce dependence on Russian energy resources, and to achieve this goal, the best way is to search for alternative energy supply chains. "One of the best supply routes lies along the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkiye corridor, through which the energy resources of the Caspian basin can be transported to Europe. We have already seen an increase in Azerbaijan’s gas supplies via the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline, and this volume will grow in the future,” noted the expert.

"Azerbaijan is also actively working on new electricity projects, including the export of electricity. Considering that in the European Union, along with gas and oil, there is an increase in demand for electricity, it is safe to assume that Azerbaijan can become one of the suppliers of electricity. Georgia, which has the appropriate infrastructure, attractive geopolitical position and relevant experience in energy projects, would certainly become a transit country for Azerbaijan’s electricity exports to Europe,” he concluded.





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