Poti-Kavkaz train- ferry service's schedule to be published in a few days- minister

YEREVAN, August 11. /ARKA/. The train-ferry service between Georgian and Russian Black Sea ports of Poti and Kavkaz respectively will be launched in a few days, Armenian Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyan said today.

The train-ferry service was originally supposed to start on June 15 for transportation of goods to and from Armenia to Russia and beyond, but was delayed due to absence of the permission of a Dutch company that operates the Port of Poti in Georgia.

Kerobyan told journalists today that the ferry service will be launched once the timetable is finalized.

'Now the work on the timetable of the train-ferry service is coming to an end. It will be published soon. I think it's a matter of a few days,' Kerobyan said.

Earlier, the Armenian government decided to fully subsidize for 6 months the transportation of goods to and from Armenia by the ferry service from the port of Poti (Georgia) to Port of Kavkaz (Russia) and backward.

On May 5, C&M International LLC was declared by the Armenian government the operator of the train-ferry service. 

The Poti –Port Kavkaz train-ferry link between Georgia and Russia is viewed as an alternative to the Russian-Georgian border crossing at Upper Lars which processes the bulk of Armenia’s cargo traffic with Russia.

The border crossing is frequently closed due to blizzards and landslides in winter and spring, causing Armenian companies serious losses as hundreds of Armenian trucks strand there for weeks. -0-