Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway was launched on September 30. In addition to the leadership of Turkey, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, the Prime Ministers of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan participated in the official event, which implies that these countries also have economic hopes connected to the operation of the railway. It was reported that Azerbaijan spent 775 million dollars for the construction of the 826 km railway. Akhalkalaki-Kars road sector costs were covered by Turkey.
Politicians and economic experts inspired by the fact of the railway operation foresee a huge prospect. According to them, thanks to this part of the railway, there is already a direct link between Beijing-London railway. International (or regional, if you do not believe in the economic prospects of the railway), program has also bypassed our country. Just the way the Baku-Ceyhan oil pipeline was constructed bypassing Armenia.
In both cases, our political forces and the authorities spared no effort and energy to be bypassed. For example, not joining Baku-Ceyhan, was our victory according to the ARF. In the 90’s, the official body of that party stated the political expediency of not joining the oil pipeline.
And the avoidance to join the railway was already realized by the second president of Armenia Robert Kocharyan. In 2004, during the meeting with YSU students, Kocharyan assured that this construction would never start.
In 2007, when the leaders of the three neighboring countries signed a memorandum of intent to start the construction, our authorities still persuaded us that it was a trick. They were assuring that the US was against this plan and would not allow it to be implemented.
These were the times when Foreign Minister Oskanian was making splendid speeches about the possibility of ceaseless and indefinite development within the upcoming 100 years under blockade.
Ara GALOYAN
