BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 29. The development of international transportation routes as well as independent projects in the Caspian region and Central Asian states was in the spotlight this week, Trend reports.
Thus, Kazakhstan's Minister of National Economy Nurlan Baibazarov stated that in 2024 the construction and reconstruction of such roads as Taldykorgan - Ust-Kamenogorsk, Astana - Almaty, the road around Balkhash, Dostyk - Moyinty, Darbaza - Maktaaral, Bakhty - Ayagoz railroad, and the bypass around Almaty will be completed. Baibazarov noted that the implementation of all these projects contributes to the development of the "Middle Corridor" (Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, TITR).
The Managing Director on assets and work with projects of the national management holding of Kazakhstan, "Baiterek" Aliya Murzagalieva, stated during the session "Eurasian transport framework: potential, problems, and solutions" within the EDB business forum in Almaty that Kazakhstan sees great potential in the Middle Corridor and is currently paying great attention to the issue of the development of the port of Kuryk in the Caspian Sea.
The General Director of Istkomtrans LLP, Almas Abaideldinov, noted on the margins of the annual meeting and business forum of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) in Almaty on June 27 that Kazakhstan has many advantages that contribute to its becoming a regional transport hub and assisting in the development of TITR. This Kazakh company uses TITR, and in addition to the advantages, it sees several "bottlenecks".
Abaideldinov listed infrastructure constraints in the ports of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, the need to expand some sections of railroads and roads in Kazakhstan, and interaction with other Middle Corridor member countries as among the bottlenecks of TITR.
Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways, Rovshan Rustamov, stated this week that Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan should be more involved in the project to increase the effectiveness of TITR.
Kyrgyzstan this week ratified a cooperation agreement on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railroad project, which will facilitate the development of TITR.
TITR is part of the TRACECA Program, and the Secretary General of the Permanent Secretariat of the TRACECA Intergovernmental Commission (PS IGC), Asset Assavbayev, said that the prototype of a single universal CIM/SMGS electronic consignment note for the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA) has been completed, and the first virtual pilot exchange of electronic consignment notes between rail carriers along the route took place in June.
Additionally, this week it became known that opportunities for the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor) will be discussed on September 17–19 in Baku at the "Black Sea-Caspian Cargo Transportation Forum", as reported by the international company RDL Group (organizer of the event).
The event "Batumi Executive Retreat" on July 4-5 in the Georgian city of Batumi will be devoted to the use of TITR by logistics and oil companies, as reported by the company "Confidence Information Services" (organizer of the event).
The Eurasian Development Bank presented the Eurasian Transportation Framework study at its business forum in Almaty this week. The Eurasian transport framework includes five key international transport corridors - the Northern, Central, and Southern Eurasian Corridors, TRACECA, and the North-South International Transport Corridor (ITC), supplemented by branch lines and regional routes. In general, the "framework" covers roads with a total length of more than 50,000 kilometers.
This week there was also news on the ITC "North-South". Thus, the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Energy of the Astrakhan Region, Ilya Volynskiy, informed about the growing demand for the trans-Caspian section (ITC) "North-South", as evidenced by the growth of more than 50 percent of cargo turnover at port terminals on the Caspian Sea.
Pakistan's Ambassador to Russia, Muhammad Khalid Jamali, stated that Pakistan had a successful experience with cargo delivery through one of the branches of the ITC "North-South" and Pakistan is now moving towards formal entry into this transport corridor.
Furthermore, this week it became known that Russia and Iran have agreed on the introduction of sliding wheelsets to facilitate the change of gauge along the route of the international transport corridor "North-South" at the transport hub in Astara (the border of Azerbaijan and Iran).
In addition, it became known that the Russian company-developer of autonomous ship navigation systems, Sitronics KT, may implement a project of unmanned ship navigation on the route of the international transport corridor (ITC) "North-South".
Moreover, this week it became known that the Baku International Sea Trade Port (BISTP) started industrial use of the innovative additive "Prolong," which allows for a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, at the facilities on its territory.
In air transport development news, attention was drawn to the statement of Azerbaijani Ambassador to Egypt Elkhan Polukhov in his interview with Egyptian publication Al-Ahram about the need to open direct air service between Baku and Cairo. Currently, Azerbaijan is connected to Egypt only by Sharm-el-Sheikh-Baku.
In the same week, it became known that the Georgian government intensified negotiations with British airlines on opening direct flights from Georgia to the UK.
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