Azerbaijan, which has set a goal to become a major commercial and transportation hub in the region and facilitate the regional trade, is currently engaged in development of the Baku International Sea Trade Port in Alat.
Aydin Huseynov, Member of the Parliamentary Committee on economic policy, industry and entrepreneurship said that the process of construction of the new Baku International Sea Trade Port entered the decisive stage.
Commenting on the recent orders of President Ilham Aliyev, on allocation 30 million manats to speed up the construction of the existing complex here, Huseynov told Trend that that the allocated funds are aimed at accelerating the implementation of the project and providing it with the necessary technical capabilities.
“Several years ago, we saw the main prospect of the Port of Baku in the fact that it is located on the West-East corridor, because if to pay attention to the traffic of international cargo transportation, then, as an alternative, this route offers many advantages to cargo owners. This is an alternative route for cargo transportation from China to Europe, as well as the most attractive route for transportation from Europe to Central Asia,” he emphasized.
After the launch of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway a very advantageous alternative road will be created for the transport of goods from Europe to Central Asia and China. The political processes taking place in recent years on the international scene have shown that the North-South corridor does not lag behind in importance from the East-West corridor, that is, the emerging geopolitical situation creates new economic challenges.
“Azerbaijan is prepared for these challenges. Completing this project and launching it in full force will bring very large economic dividends to Azerbaijan,” he said.
Huseynov stressed that this project will positively affect the economic condition of the population.
“The launch of this project will create ample opportunities for both international and domestic cargo transportation. On the other hand, there are increasing alternatives for the supply of local products to foreign markets. Moreover, the new Baku International Sea Trade Port is a giant project, and tens of thousands of new jobs are planned to be created here,” he said.
The Baku International Sea Trade Port was previously located in the middle of the city. Later,the state decided to move it to a new location, 70 km south of the capital Baku, near a small town called Alat, which is located at the strategic crossroads of the regional railroads and highways.
“One of the unique features of Alat is its proximity to the capital of Azerbaijan. If to consider that Baku is now the main economic center, as well as the fact that the majority of private companies and human resources are concentrated in the capital, it also creates a great advantage. Another point worth noting is the creation of a special economic zone, which means expansion of activities for entrepreneurs. This, in turn, also means the opening of additional jobs,” Huseynov said.
The new Port of Baku is located on an area of 400 hectares (ha) of land, of which about 100-115 ha cover the area for the development of the international Logistics and Trade Zone. The northern areas around the port are reserved for future expansion of logistics, industrial, and manufacturing activity.
Port of Baku will complete phase 1 of its new international sea and trade port by 2017, increasing capacity to 11.5 million tons of cargo per year and up to 50,000 containers, many of which could be transshipped between China, Central Asia and Europe.
Amina Nazarli is AzerNews’ staff journalist
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