Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia have launched the Silk Road Railway — DHA
Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Georgia have officially launched the upgraded Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway line, which is a strategic component of the so-called Middle Corridor.
This large-scale logistics route was created to ensure reliable trade between Asian and European countries, bypassing the territory of the Russian Federation.
The grand opening ceremony for the logistics facility took place on Tuesday in the Georgian city of Akhalkalaki, attended by high-ranking officials from the three partner countries.
The launch of this branch will significantly reshape the current map of Eurasian freight transport and reduce dependence on Russian transit routes.
Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu spoke at the official event, emphasizing the geopolitical importance of the project.
The minister provided a detailed assessment of the new investments.
“The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line is one of the most important transportation investments implemented through the joint will of the three countries. Since 2017, it has made a significant contribution to the development of the Middle Corridor and played an important role in strengthening connections between Asia and Europe,” said Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu.
The Turkish official separately emphasized that modern international trade urgently needs not just additional routes, but above all safe and predictable transport corridors.
Ongoing geopolitical crises and armed conflicts are forcing world leaders to seek stable alternatives. According to the minister, the existence of such logistics systems is a guarantee of survival for many of the world’s economies.
“Disruptions in supply chains and the vulnerability of international trade networks have shown us an important reality. Corridors that were considered alternatives in case of crises are, in fact, the safety net of global trade,” the minister noted.
Abdulkadir Uraloğlu is convinced that the ultimate effectiveness of the Middle Corridor will be directly determined not only by overall financial investments in infrastructure but also by the speed of processing and the reliability of cargo delivery.
Competition in the global market is forcing partners to constantly improve their internal services. The main focus is now shifting toward the practical results of the corridor’s operations.
“Today, the world evaluates not the capacity of the BTK, but its efficiency. Our success will be measured not by the number of kilometers built, but by the quality of services, transit time, and user trust,” he said.
This was reported by the DHA news agency.
Ukraine and Turkey are preparing a new gas agreement
Ultimately, the parties view the energy partnership not only as an economic project but also as a security element in the Black Sea region, where the interests of key players are increasingly intertwined. This was announced by Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal following talks with his Turkish counterpart Alparslan Bayraktar.
In Ukraine, alongside the restoration of the destroyed power grid, a new energy model is being developed that is intended to be more decentralized, resilient, and shock-resistant. It is being built on the principle of “energy honeycombs,” where responsibility and resources are distributed among the state, regions, communities, and businesses.
