OSKANYAN: GEORGIA IS STRATEGICALLY IMPORTANT TO ARMENIA
YEREVAN, February 9. /ARKA/. Georgia is a country of strategic significance to Armenia, Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanyan said Wednesday in Armenian National Assembly.
However, he said, it doesn't mean that Armenia, in turn, can be strategically important to Georgia.
Oskanyan said Georgia's importance is due to geography, since Armenia's all major transportation links go though Georgia's territory.
Commenting on Georgia's participation in Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku railway construction project that leaves Armenia on the sidelines, Oskanyan said that this fact wouldn't affect Armenian-Georgian relations.
In his words, Georgia displays restraint in this matter. The country decided to take part in the project because of its economic interests, to make cargo shipment cheaper. "This is Georgia's sovereign decision, which can't be influenced by Armenia", the minister said.
The railway is planned to be put into exploitation in two or three years.
The parties hope the railway's annual capacity to be 15 million tons of cargo. China and Kazakhstan are expected to join the project. M.V.-0--
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
However, he said, it doesn't mean that Armenia, in turn, can be strategically important to Georgia.
Oskanyan said Georgia's importance is due to geography, since Armenia's all major transportation links go though Georgia's territory.
Commenting on Georgia's participation in Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku railway construction project that leaves Armenia on the sidelines, Oskanyan said that this fact wouldn't affect Armenian-Georgian relations.
In his words, Georgia displays restraint in this matter. The country decided to take part in the project because of its economic interests, to make cargo shipment cheaper. "This is Georgia's sovereign decision, which can't be influenced by Armenia", the minister said.
The railway is planned to be put into exploitation in two or three years.
The parties hope the railway's annual capacity to be 15 million tons of cargo. China and Kazakhstan are expected to join the project. M.V.-0--
Note: Above are excerpts from the article. The full article appears here. Clarifications and comments by me are contained in {}. Deletions are marked by [...]. The bold emphasis is mine.
Labels: Armenia and Georgia
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