Georgia 'ready' to contribute to new Silk Road

Georgia is ready to contribute to developing the new Silk Road from Europe to Asia, Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili said Tuesday.

"Georgia is ready to make its contribution to the development of the so-called middle corridor of the new Silk Road," Kvirikashvili told the Tbilisi Silk Road Forum, according to a Georgian Prime Ministry statement.

Kvirikashvili said Georgia, located at a "vital" crossroads, links the economies and cultures of east and west.

"The vivid interest in the forum testifies that this initiative is becoming strategically important not only to its participating states but to everyone pursuing greater results in trade, infrastructural development, enhanced access to digital technology, and closer person-to-person contacts," he said.

Kvirikashvili mentioned how Georgia, Turkey and Azerbaijan launched the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project, connecting the Central Asian states to Europe's railroad network via an alternative route.

Turkish Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Minister Ahmet Arslan also attended the forum.