Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 6
By Ilkin Shafiyev - Trend:
The consignation of the first batch of goods along the Lapis Lazuli international transport corridor is an important event, the National Secretary of the Transport Cooperation Program (TRACECA - Transport Corridor Europe Caucasus Asia) for Azerbaijan Akif Mustafayev told Trend Sept. 6.
The supply of Afghan goods along the transport corridor, which runs through Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and passes on further to Europe, will be held in October.
The first delivery will be of a test nature, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Afghanistan noted. It will include two containers with carpets and precious stones, which will be sent from the ports of Akina and Turghundi to Turkey and Holland.
"The first delivery will be experimental and will include only a few containers. It is necessary to clarify where the stopovers will be made along the route, how much the cost would be, and to solve other problems. In short, the first delivery is a kind of test of the possibility of sending a larger consignment in the future. This is an important event. Now Uzbekistan begins to think about the prospect of supply of goods through Azerbaijan, the consignments are also coming from Russia, in particular the metal products from the city of Magnitogorsk are delivered through Azerbaijan to Mersin province of Turkey by means of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway. The batches are still small, but do not forget that this is only the beginning," Mustafayev said.
According to the Lapis Lazuli project, railways and highways will connect the city of Torghundi in the Afghan province of Herat with Turkmenistan's Ashgabat, and further with the Caspian port of Turkmenbashi. The corridor will extend to the new port of Baku in Alat, going further through Tbilisi to Ankara with branches leading to Poti and Batumi in Georgia, and go ahead from Ankara to Istanbul.
The budget of the project, which is aimed at facilitating transit logistics and simplifying customs procedures, is estimated at $2 billion. This large-scale project is aimed at increasing the economic integration of countries in the region and increasing trade.
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