Opposition Leader Fears Regional Rail Link will Harm Georgia’s Ports

Leader of the opposition Georgia’s Way party and ex-Foreign Minister Salome Zourabichvili expressed fears that the launch of the Baku-Akhalkalaki-Kars railway may not be an economically justified project for Georgia’s Black Sea ports.

“This railway means that cargo transported through Georgia will go the shortest way to Turkey, via railway, and we will lose the possibility to fully exploit our ports,” Zourabichvili said at a news conference.
 
Azerbaijan will loan USD 200 million to Georgia to finance construction of its portion of a railway that will link Azerbaijan with Turkey, according to an agreement signed in Tbilisi on January 13. Georgia will have to repay the loan with 1% annual interest within 25 years.

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