Azerbaijan Prime Minister Ali Asadov announced that the cargo turnover of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway has increased from 1 million to 5 million tons, attributing the growth to Azerbaijan’s continued investments in the project. Speaking at the Silk Road Forum in Tbilisi, Asadov emphasized the strategic importance of the BTK line as a vital component of the regional transport corridor.
“Last year, our cargo turnover on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars route increased from 1 million to 5 million tons, thanks to Azerbaijan investments,” Asadov said. “At the same time, the second stage of this development has begun with the expansion of the international seaport in Baku, which connects the main railway and land routes. Azerbaijan also has the largest merchant fleet in the region, making it one of the key transit hubs within the Middle Corridor,” he noted.
The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, operational since October 30, 2017, serves as a crucial link between Asia and Europe, facilitating trade through the South Caucasus. The project included the construction of a 98-kilometer railway line between Kars (Turkey) and Akhalkalaki (Georgia) - 68 kilometers on Turkish territory and 30 kilometers in Georgia - as well as the reconstruction of the 183-kilometer Akhalkalaki–Tbilisi section. The total length of the BTK line reaches 827 kilometers.
