Washington, 21 August 1997 (RFE/RL) - A first-ever conference to promote regional infrastructure development in the transcaucasus region will be held in Tblisi, Georgia, September 16-17.
Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze will give the keynote address to the conference that will include participation by Azerbaijani Prime Minister Artur Rasizade and senior officials from Armenia. The conference is organized by a private firm in London.
In a letter to companies interested in becoming involved in regional development of transportion, telecommunications and pipelines, Shevardnadze said the conference will access inter-regional relations and the need for effective transport corridors and the outlet for the region's oil riches to the international markets. He said ways of cooperating closely on customs procedures and trade regulations would also be on the agenda.