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Ilham Aliyev: Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway will connect not only countries but continents as well

16 March 2017 08:10 (UTC +04:00)

The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway will connect not only countries but continents as well, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said.

None of the projects initiated by Azerbaijan was unsuccessful, noted President Aliyev, addressing the opening ceremony of the Fifth Global Baku Forum titled “The Future of International Relations: Power and Interests”, which kicked off in Baku March 16, APA reported.

The head of state said this route is the shortest one from Asia to the West. “This is a corridor of partnership and business and leads to the creation of thousands of new jobs in Azerbaijan and neighboring countries,” said Ilham Aliyev.

Touching upon the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC), the Azerbaijani leader noted that the project, which is estimated at $40 billion, is backed by the EU.

“The project is being implemented on the initiative of Azerbaijan. We had no problems in connection with financing our share in this project,” said President Aliyev, stressing that the countries involved in the SGC implementation have become long-term partners.

The head of state noted that Azerbaijan is investing in intercultural dialogue.

“Various international organizations provide support to the humanitarian forums held in Azerbaijan. Today we are talking about tolerance, but we see how people how people are distrustful of each other,” said President Aliyev.

The president went on to say that sustainable development of Azerbaijan, a multicultural country, shows that development can only be achieved through mutual understanding, tolerance and multiculturalism.