Turkmenbashi Seaport Set to Join North-South Corridor Infrastructure Register

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For the North-South international transport corridor, a digital register of transport and logistics centers is being created, incorporating details about the Turkmenbashi International Seaport’s infrastructure. 

This initiative stems from the materials presented during the second meeting of the CIS transport business dialogue held in Moscow at the end of January this year. The registry is expected to enhance the effectiveness of establishing logistics routes and supply chains along the North-South corridor, as reported by Turkmenistan’s official media on Monday.

Vadim Ganin, General Director of the “Business Center for Economic Development of the CIS”  Association, during CIS transport business dialogue announced Russia’s intent to contribute to two key transport corridors linked to the North-South international transport corridor.

One corridor involves establishing a multimodal route: Russia – Caspian Sea – Turkmenistan – Uzbekistan – Kyrgyzstan, known as the Southern Transport Corridor. It offers options for transportation, utilizing railways or heavy vehicles in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. The Kyrgyz side prioritizes the latter option.

According to the “Türkmendeňizderýaýollary” (Turkmen Maritime and River Roads) Agency, during the initial phase, containers from Kyrgyzstan are expected to reach Turkmenbashi Seaport via trailers. Subsequently, they will be transported on ferries to Astrakhan, Russia, where numerous terminals can handle diverse cargoes, Ganin explained.

The General Director of the Association emphasized that, according to Kyrgyz estimates, the republic is prepared to facilitate a daily flow of forty cars initially, potentially increasing to 150-200 heavy trucks per day in the future.

If the interstate project advances to the implementation stage, a logistics center will be established in Turkmenistan’s port special economic zone. Here, goods from Kyrgyzstan will be stored before shipping to Russia. The parties aim to initiate a regular shipping line for cargo carriers.

The second project involves creating the Trans-Afghan Corridor, connecting the European Union, Belarus, Russia, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and other Southeast Asian states. This corridor may intersect with the Southern Transport Corridor. The feasibility study for the project is scheduled for completion by July 2024.

The North-South corridor spans 7,200 kilometers, serving as a multimodal route that links Europe, the Gulf, and Indian Ocean countries via the Suez Canal.

Source:https://business.com.tm/