Turkey is increasingly consolidating its role as a crossroads for traffic between Europe and Asia, and aims to capitalise on this position in light of the new trade routes emerging from shifting geopolitical scenarios across the vast Eurasian region. It is in this context that a decision by the Ankara authorities should be viewed. It may be excessive to describe it as historic, but it can certainly be seen as a turning point: after 33 years of de facto obstruction, Turkey has lifted the ban on rail imports and exports imposed on Armenia. As a result, the former Soviet republic in the mountainous Caucasus region can re-establish a direct link with the European Union, and no longer only with Russia or China.
The Turkish-Armenian border crossings had been closed since 1993, and Armenia can now become fully integrated into the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (Btk) railway, the new high-capacity route of more than 800 kilometres linking Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, particularly on the section between the Georgian hub of Akhalkalaki and the Turkish hub of Kars. Until now, only the land borders with Iran and Georgia had remained open.
The new scenarios also open the door to further investment in rail infrastructure. Armenia had for some time been assessing the possibility of building its own railway line towards Turkey, thereby eliminating the need to transit through Georgia. The situation is complicated by current circumstances, however, because under a 30-year concession agreement signed in 2008, Russia manages Armenia’s rail network, meaning that any intervention cannot exclude an agreement with Moscow. In particular, the Gyumri-Kars section and its connection with the rest of the network need to be unblocked. According to available information, the Armenian authorities are nevertheless firmly committed to finding a solution, even without Russia’s clearance.
Beyond Turkey and Armenia, developments are also continuing on other major cross-border routes. In this case, the focus is the Baltic-Adriatic rail freight corridor, also known by the acronym Rfc5. Croatia and Hungary, which until now had simply had a cooperation relationship with the corridor, have formalised their accession and have therefore decided to commit officially. The two countries will consequently have to comply with a number of requirements, including monitoring corridor activities and guaranteeing non-discriminatory access to their rail networks for the various European operators. This therefore marks a step forward for European integration and interoperability.
The Baltic-Adriatic freight corridor has a geographical reach covering more than 5,000 kilometres of railway lines between the Baltic Sea and the Adriatic Sea, connected to around 80 multimodal terminals and seaports. According to the most authoritative estimates, demand for freight transport along this axis is expected to increase considerably in the coming years. The main drivers are GDP growth in countries formerly within the Soviet sphere, the opportunity to capture rail traffic with Asia, particularly China, and the growth of maritime ports.
Piermario Curti Sacchi
