Yesterday the issue of Kars-Akhalkalak-Tbilisi-Baku was discussed in Yerevan, Baku and Tbilisi. The Georgian economic development minister, Georgi Arveladze said concerning the statements that the citizens of Javakhk are against the mentioned construction program, “The project is going to invest $300 million in Akhalkalak, which will open new windows in the region, the main important f which is recovering its contact with Tbilisi”. Arveladze thinks that this poject will support development in the region. He also informed that the issue would be discussed by Saakashvili, Aliev and Erdoghan at a meeting to take place in Tbilisi.
Concerning the concerns hat the mentioned project leaves Armenia out of the regional processes U.S. Chargé d´Affaires Anthony Godfrey said that it would be better if the railway connecting Turkey with Azerbaijan crossed the territory of Armenia. However, he said that if Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia realized that project with their own resources, the U.S. could not keep them from it. “The U.S. encourages integration processes in the Southern Caucasus and it is very important for the U.S.; it is a security quarantee in the region, but the US cannot stop the construction of Kars-Akhalkalak railway” said Anthony Godfrey in Yerevan.
The U.S. co-chairmen of the OSCE MG, Matthew Bryza said that the Congress had made a decision stopping the U.S. government provide financial support for that project. As Matthew Bryza spoke this in Baku, he also said, “But the approach of the administration is different; we are not against the project. Meanwhile, we can’t support that project because of the decision of the Congress”.
Besides Bryza’s announcement it is worth mentioning the official position of Armenia too. Recently RA foreign affairs deputy minister Gevorg Gharibjanyan said that Armenia was ready to take part in that project. In other words, if we try to be more polite, the U.S. may change its policy connected with this project.