Azerbaijan, Georgia discuss full launch of Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project

Azerbaijan and Georgia have held high-level talks focusing on advancing cooperation to fully launch the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway route, a critical infrastructure project linking the two countries with Türkiye.

Following negotiations in Baku, Rashad Nabiyev, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Digital Development and Transport, shared updates on the progress during a statement on the social media platform X. He met with Mariam Kvrivishvili, Georgia’s Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Caliber.Az reports.

Gürcüstanın iqtisadiyyat və davamlı inkişaf naziri Mariam Kvrivişvili ilə görüşdük.

Ölkələrimiz arasında #nəqliyyat sahəsində mövcud əməkdaşlıq və gələcək perspektivlər, BTQ dəmir yolu layihəsinin tam fəaliyyətə düşməsi üçün görüləcək işlər, avtomobil nəqliyyatı sahəsində… pic.twitter.com/EeFn0mLdy3

— Rashad Nabiyev (@RashadNNabiyev) July 12, 2025

“We discussed the current level and prospects of cooperation in the field of transport between our countries, as well as joint efforts for the full launch of the BTK project,” Nabiyev noted.

The minister also said that the agenda included issues related to improving the regulatory framework in the field of road transport, as well as potential cooperation in the fields of ICT, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and innovation.

The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway is a strategic rail link connecting Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye, officially opened in 2017. It provides a direct route between the Caspian Sea and Europe, bypassing Russia and Iran. Spanning about 850 kilometres, the railway enhances regional connectivity and facilitates faster, cost-effective trade between Asia and Europe.

The project is part of the broader Middle Corridor and aligns with China’s Belt and Road Initiative. It aims to boost economic cooperation among the three countries and improve freight and passenger transport capacity, supporting up to 5 million tons of cargo annually after recent upgrades.

By Vugar Khalilov