Georgia to join OTIF

Georgian Railways has initiated the country's entry into the Intergovernmental Organization for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF). Georgia will become a member on May 1, 2012.

This move became a necessity in the wake of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars rail construction project, as this will link Georgia to greater European rail infrastructure. The Georgian government sees rail as an integral part of its transportation future, and hopes that it will help attract tourists.

The OTIF was established in 1985, to facilitate the creation of a unified system for international cargo and passenger transport by rail. The organization currently has 47 members in Europe, North Africa, and the Near East, including the European Union and the United Kingdom, as well as Georgia's neighbours Turkey, Armenia, and Russia.