The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway is an important transport corridor connecting Europe with the countries of the region and serving the development of regional cooperation, Director-General for Mobility and Transport (MOVE) of the European Commission Henrik Hololei said at a briefing Feb. 19, Trend reports.
He said the full launch of BTK is directly related to the start of operation of the Baku International Sea Trade Port in Alat.
The BTK railway, in fact, originates from the port of Alat, he noted.
The port of Alat has always been on the agenda of discussions on the EU-Azerbaijan cooperation and the EU will always try so that it remains the most modern and environmentally friendly port in the region, he added.
Regarding the issue of investments, Hololei said if attention is paid to the transport map of the region, Azerbaijani authorities may make their decision on what sources they intend to raise funds from.
There are international financial institutions for this, he noted.
The financing mechanism of the EU Eastern Partnership program can be the second source, he said. The EU talked about expanding the Trans-European Transport Network in the Eastern Partnership countries, and this initiative should be completed by 2030, he noted.
To do this, the EU and the countries of the Eastern Partnership should agree among themselves and determine which corridor is of more priority for them and, based on this, implement their initiatives, he added.