| Two of the poorest regions in Georgia and Turkey hope to create jobs and stimulate economic growth through cooperation
By Burcu Gültekin and Mikael Hertoft*
Turkish and Georgian businessmen and political figures are considering ways to improve economic relations in the border regions of the two countries.
With this in mind, businessmen met in early June in Kars to collaborate on opening the border between Karzakhi and Cildir/Aktas in an effort to increase the importance of two remote regions in Georgia and Turkey – Akhalkalaki and Kars.
The issue has been on the agenda of the Turkish and Georgian governments for several years, and was addressed at the last Turkish-Georgian Joint Economic Commission.
During the two-day visit a delegation from Samtskhe-Javakheti met with Mayor of Kars Naif Alibeyoglu, President of the Kars Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ali Guvensoy and private Turkish businessmen.
The issues of attracting new sources of income, increasing the amount of workplaces based on cross-border trade, joint investment and marketing projects, and development of regional tourism were discussed at the meetings.
It is hoped that through this cross-border cooperation, economic growth will be stimulated in both regions.
While Kars has suffered in recent years owing to the loss of its status as a border town after direct land communications between Turkey and Armenia were severed in 1993, Akhalkalaki today suffers from its remoteness and very poor infrastructure, and is one of the poorest regions in Georgia.
The opening of the Karzakhi-Cildir/Aktas border crossing will place Akhalkalaki at one-hour distance from Kars and should lead to increased cross-border trade, although for this to happen the road between Akhalkalaki and the Georgian border town of Karzakhi must first be rehabilitated.
Local actors on both sides of the border are placing great hope in the Millennium Challenge Georgia project to renovate the road connection between the Turkish border and Tbilisi via Akhalkalaki.
Samtskhe-Javakheti region and Eastern Anatolia can be as integrated as Adjara and the Turkish Black Sea region, they believe, adding that the Karzakhi border crossing will, as Sarpi did, open a transit trade route to Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The members of the Samtskhe-Javakheti delegation and their Turkish counterparts expressed strong support for the Georgian and Turkish governments in their efforts to open the border post and improve infrastructure.
The businessmen and political representatives from Kars and Samtskhe-Javakheti agreed to meet again in Akhalkalaki in the nearest future to discuss further cooperation.
* Dr. Burcu Gültekin is Europe Coordinator for the Turkish-Armenian Business Development Council (TABDC); Mikael Hertoft is Program Manager in Javakheti for the European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI) |
Akgün Medya