The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway construction has been suspended because of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict and geological problems, Nikolaz Natbiladze, the Georgian Ambassador to Azerbaijan stated in Baku yesterday, Trend Capital reports.

According to Bidzin Bregadze, the director of the Marabda-Kartsakhi Railway LLC, the operation schedule has been suspended due to technical reasons.

The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway will connect the Azerbaijani, Georgian and Turkish railroad networks. The project is estimated at US $ 600 mln and is to be completed by 2010.

According to NEWS.am sources, the construction has been suspended owing to certain economic problems. The possible unblocking of the Armenian-Turkish border, launch of Kars-Akhalkalaki-Tbilisi railway makes the investment in the project inefficient for Turkey. Georgia is not interested in the project as a transit country, as part of cargoes intended for Armenia will come directly from Turkey.