Turkey to host meeting on Georgia-Turkey railway project

Turkey is to hold a meeting on the Kars-Javakheti (Ahilkelek)-Tbilisi-Baku Railway Project on September 19. Turkish Transportation Minister Binali Yildirim, Transportation Minister Ziya Mammadov of Azerbaijan and Economics & Infrastructure Minister Irakli Chogovadze of Georgia will attend the meeting. The project aims to set up a direct railway line between Turkey and Georgia, and between Turkey and Azerbaijan via Georgia.Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia signed a memorandum of understanding on December 28, 2004 to put the project into force. The sides established a working group, and decided to hold a meeting between ministries. Meanwhile, presidents of the three countries signed a statement about the project during the inauguration of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline project on May 25, 2005. The statement stressed that the project would further develop Eurasia-Caucasia-Asia transportation corridor, and contribute to efforts to revive the historical Silk Road. (Hürriyetim)