Georgia: EU-associated nation and key player of international transits
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Georgia’s state-operated railway company will ensure the Caucasus is connected with Europe and Scandinavia, Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili says.
Kvirikashvili spoke about Georgia’s role as a transit country and its participation in several international transport corridors in his interview with international journal Caspian Energy.
The PM explained why Georgia’s participation in the Viking train project was important for strengthening the transit function of the country and the formation of a logistical hub in the region.
The Viking container train was an international initiative spanning from Lithuania through Belarus, Ukraine, Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria and Turkey that connected the Baltic and Black Seas via railway. Georgia signed papers about joining the project in 2011.
Kvirikashvili named several advantages of this particular project. These included:
- Its intermodal nature;
- Fixed schedule that allowed for interoperation with other modes of transport;
- Competitive cost compared to alternative modes of transport;
- The minimum time required for paperwork and customs clearance procedures at the border; and
- The minimum delay for delivery of goods to their destinations.
Georgian Railway became a full member of the Viking project in April 2015, with the Bulgarian Navy and the Finland-based company Containerships as associate members, and Gefco Company and Steveco Logistics as new operators through Turkey, Sweden and Finland.
"Joining JSC with Georgian Railway will ensure that the Caucasus is connected with Europe and Scandinavia as well as improve the conditions of mutual transit of goods between the participating countries of the TRACECA program and in the East-West, North-South directions,” the PM said.
"It will also create alternative transportation routes for trade between Europe and Asia.”
Kvirikashvili also talked about the New Silk Road project and said it was crucial to ensure that transportation of additional cargo flows from China to Europe can go through Georgia without any obstacles.
"There is a huge potential for Georgia to capture significant volumes from various alternative routes,” he said.
"The current situation in the region, with various Silk Road initiatives aiming to promote trade, economic cooperation and development, is very promising.”
The Georgian leader noted during 2015 and in early 2016 railway freight transportations from China in the direction of Georgia were carried out on several occasions.
"As a result of fruitful cooperation between the Georgian, Azeri, Kazakh and Chinese railways, tariffs were introduced for the entire corridor, which created an opportunity for the transport of freight from China to the Black Sea ports of Georgia in the shortest possible time,” the PM said.
He added as a result, transit time had been reduced from 40-45 to 7-9 days. Kvirikashvili stressed transit networks running through Georgia could bring goods from China to Europe much faster than sea routes.
Apart from the country’s economic development, Kvirikashvili also talked about Georgia’s political course in his interview. He stressed getting closer to the European Union (EU) was among his country’s top priorities.
He talked about the Association Agreement signed with the EU in June 2014 and said it was "an entirely new generation agreement”.
"Through political association and economic integration, the agreement creates vast opportunities for development in Georgia and greater approximation with the EU in all main sectors,” he said.
"With this agreement Georgia has committed itself to the gradual introduction of European norms and standards in the political, economic, social and legislative sectors.”
The PM believed this would contribute to improving living standards in Georgia, boost economic growth, as well as guarantee unconditional protection of political and economic freedom.
"The Association Agreement, once in force, will become the core legislative framework governing EU-Georgia relations,” he said.
Currently all EU member states and the European Parliament have ratified the agreement and is expected to soon come into force.
Kvirikashvili said today the Georgian Government had the crucial task of effectively implementing the agreement and ensuring that Georgian citizens receive the maximum benefits from the prospects opened by the document - particularly through the establishment of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area with the EU.
Georgia is going to play an important role connecting two major transport routes; one connecting Western and Central Europe and the other connecting central and South-East Asia.
Georgia is celebrating the arrival of the first cargo train from China, which officially opened the Silk Railway project and will bring millions of dollars to the Georgian economy.
Georgia is celebrating the arrival of the first cargo train from China, which will bring millions of dollars to the local economy and encourage trade between China, Georgia and the rest of Europe.
The first test train is set to begin operating on the new Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway project later today.
The first cargo train travelling on a new transit route from China to Turkey, via Georgia, has departed for its maiden voyage and is expected to arrive at its destination in the coming days.
This afternoon Usupashvili announced Belgium – the final EU state to sign the Georgia-EU deal – had penned the agreement this morning. Through this step, the Georgia-EU AA ratification process was completed.
Georgia is celebrating the first anniversary of signing its Association Agreement (AA) with the European Union (EU); an occasion described by Georgian leaders as a "giant step towards free Europe”.
Garibashvili described the signature of the Agreement as a "new great date in the chronicles of his homeland”.
Georgia and Germany are deepening bilateral ties to improve international foreign transport and consultancy services for a wide range of transport-related projects over the coming five years.
The first train carrying goods from Turkey to China has begun operating on the new Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, announces Turkish media outlet Anadolu Agency. The train will pass through five countries on its way to China, where it is scheduled to arrive within 12 days, leaving Turkey by December 8 following the Ankara-Sivas-Kars route.
The first train carrying goods from Turkey to China that began operating on the new Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway on December 4 arrived in Georgia last night, announces the Georgian Economy Ministry. Before entering China’s Xi'an province, which is the final stop of the train, it will cover 8,693 kilometer in 12 days.
The first direct container block train from the Chinese city of Xi’an to the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi will arrive on February 20, announces APM Terminals, a company that manages Poti port in the country’s Black Sea coastal region.