Azerbaijan has branched international railway system

As Trend reports, Musa Panahov, the First Deputy Transport Minister, said that today Azerbaijan has enough branched internal railway network. Moreover, the international communication assumes great significance, which is also implemented within the framework of the ORC.

2005 saw 26.8% rise in the railway deliveries in Azerbaijan. In the first quarter of 2006 railway deliveries rose 34% as compared to last year. The volume of railway transport deliveries grew from 8.7 million tons in 1996 to 26.5 million tons in 2005.

So far, approximately $500m has been put in the transport sector of Azerbaijan as investment in the infrastructure development. In the coming few years the investments in the transport sector will constitute $1.5bn. Today Azerbaijan is developing transport corridors such as TRACECA and North-South. The implementation of the project on opening of the Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi-Baku is underway. It will enable to open the railway communications among Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey.

Representatives from 27 countries participate in the 21st conference. The forum will mull the results of the work on cargo deliveries, passenger, infrastructure and rolling-stock in 2005, working groups on coding and information sciences, financing and mutual settlements, report on ORC's activities in 2005, the budget of the committee and business schedule for 2007, and other issues.