Rail link between Tbilisi and Baku to resume after six-year break

From 26 May, daily passenger rail services between Tbilisi and Baku will resume after a six-year break.

According to Georgia’s government administration, the decision became possible following high-level meetings and agreements reached in Azerbaijan.

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Reports say that during Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s visit to Baku, Georgia and Azerbaijan signed a protocol under the bilateral coordination council. According to the document, the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway route will begin operating at full capacity.

The document was signed by Mariam Kvrivishvili, Georgia’s Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, and Rashad Nabiyev, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Digital Development and Transport.

Other agreements

During the visit, the two sides also signed a package of agreements in the energy and transport sectors. The package includes a 20-year intergovernmental agreement on the main terms for electricity supplies and transit connections.

The sides also agreed to extend for another 20 years a 2003 agreement on the purchase and sale of gas from Azerbaijan. They described the extension as a guarantee of security for household gas supplies.

Mariam Kvrivishvili signed the documents on behalf of Georgia. On Azerbaijan’s side, the documents were signed by Mikayil Jabbarov, economy minister, and Parviz Shahbazov, energy minister.

During the meetings, both sides highlighted the “positive dynamics” in trade and economic relations between the two countries, as well as the role of the intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation. According to the Georgian side, Tbilisi is ready to host the commission’s next meeting.

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The issues discussed by the leaders of Italy and Azerbaijan showed that the talks went beyond bilateral ties. They pointed to the South Caucasus’s growing role in Europe’s energy supply, transport connectivity and security.

Alongside economic issues, the discussions also focused on regional and global geopolitical challenges. The two sides once again stressed the importance of peace in the context of the region’s stable development.

The meeting also covered jointly implemented regional projects and their role in strengthening transport and energy connectivity.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev attended the signing ceremony. According to the two sides, their presence further underlined the importance of strategic bilateral cooperation.

Rail link between Tbilisi and Baku