Civil Society organizations demand border opening

The war in Georgia has left the countries of the South Caucasus struggling with substantial risks and challenges. As a consequence of the recent crisis, which further exacerbated an impasse created by the existence of the protracted conflicts, the region is deprived of a vital vain to transport goods through the countries of the region. The railroad running through Georgia is practically useless today because of the destruction of the bridge near Gori. There is already fuel shortage in Armenia and before long the impacts will be felt by other countries of the region, especially as the situation shows no signs of improvement.
A group of NGOs from Armenia, Turkey, Georgia have issued a call today, urging the initiation of a ‘new age of cooperation’. “The Governments in Ankara, Baku, Tbilisi and Yerevan have a unique chance to prove their credentials of good neighbors willing to contribute positively to the regional peace and stability”, the call states, urging a collective action to immediately unblock railroad communication networks in the region.
The group are also presenting some very interesting calculations: “Any train can reach from Samsun on the Black Sea coast of Turkey to Yerevan in 34 hours, to Tbilisi in 36 hours and to Baku in 49 hours. From Mersin, which is on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, it will take 37, 39 and 52 hours respectively. This simple. The railroad can become functional in few hours, once a political decision is made.”
Meanwhile, Unzipped reports, that “the group of specialists of the South Caucasian Railways is repairing the railway station Akhuryan 2 on the railway Kars-Gyumri”. This is very probably related to the upcoming football match between Armenia and Turkey, to which a large number of Turkish football fans are expacted.