Sea-news.az reports that the 3rd meeting of the Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan Supreme Interstate Council was held in Tashkent on August 23, with the participation of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Delivering a speech, the head of state stated:
“We already have certain results in the transport and transit sphere… The volume of cargo from Uzbekistan through the territory of Azerbaijan is increasing. It is also necessary to accelerate the construction of a ferry for Uzbekistan… Currently, around ten vessels of various modifications—ferries, tankers, and dry cargo ships—are being built simultaneously at our shipbuilding yard.”
Touching upon projects in the transport sector, the head of state noted that work toward the realization of the Zangezur corridor is proceeding actively. Emphasizing that this project will be completed next year on Azerbaijan’s main territory, President Ilham Aliyev brought to attention that relevant work has also commenced in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. Noting that the conceptual approach consists of viewing the Nakhchivan railway as an integral part of Azerbaijan’s railways, the head of state highlighted plans to establish an international consortium with the participation of interested companies and countries willing to invest, generate profit, and ensure freight volumes along this route.
It was also brought to attention that Azerbaijan is reconstructing and modernizing from scratch a portion of the existing railway line spanning approximately 400 kilometers from Baku to the Armenian border. Meanwhile, the Nakhchivan section of the line is roughly 200 kilometers. This will serve as a significant branch of the Middle Corridor.
