New Agreement Between Azerbaijan, Türkiye, and Georgia: Cooperation on the BTK Expands

Within the framework of Transport Week held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, Rovshan Rustamov, Chairman of “Azerbaijan Railways” CJSC, Lasha Abashidze, Director General of “Georgian Railways” JSC, and Ufuk Yalçın, Chairman of the Board and Director General of Türkiye State Railways’ “TCDD Taşımacılık” signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the organization of freight transportation via the Baku–Tbilisi–Kars (BTK) railway line.

Under this document, the parties agreed to strengthen the BTK route’s competitiveness compared to other transport corridors, attract additional cargo flows through optimized delivery times, ensure sustainable conditions for freight transportation, and implement competitive tariffs that provide transparent pricing.

The creation of a stable and predictable operational regime along the BTK line, improving conditions for shippers, and increasing transport volumes have been set as primary objectives. It was emphasized that adherence to delivery schedules is a key element in enhancing the BTK route’s attractiveness for cargo owners.

According to the agreement, the delivery time (excluding customs and border procedures) was set at no more than 24 hours for the Alat–Boyuk Kesik and Gardabani–Akhalkalaki sections, and no more than 48 hours for the Yalama–Boyuk Kesik section. In Türkiye, delivery time was determined as no more than 60 hours for the Kars–Mersin section and 70 hours for the Kars–Istanbul section. Thus, it will be possible to deliver cargo from Alat to Mersin within four and a half days.

In case of deviations from the standard delivery times, the parties will notify each other and take measures to restore the schedule.

Furthermore, tariffs for freight transportation via the BTK route have been set based on mutual agreements.

According to the document, the implementation of a joint digital platform or interface for cargo tracking and document management is considered a priority.