On 21 September 2023, the first meeting of the High–level Working Group on the Multimodal Corridor “Tajikistan –Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan–Iran-Türkiye” (TUTIT) + China was held in Dushanbe under the auspices of the ECO (Economic Cooperation Organization). As previously reported, in accordance with the recommendation of the “Ankara Declaration” adopted by the 11th Meeting of ECO […]
Foreign Ministers of Central Asia ‘Check the Clock’ on Regional and International Issues
On 13 September 2023, a meeting of Foreign Ministers of Central Asian states was held in Dushanbe under the chairmanship of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan Sirodjiddin Mukhriddin, the MFA of Tajikistan reports. The meeting was attended by: • Turkmenistan – Rashid Meredov • Kazakhstan – Murat Nurtleu • Kyrgyzstan – Jeenbek Kulubayev […]
DUSHANBE COMMUNIQUE of the First Meeting of Transport Ministers of Central Asian States
(Unofficial translation) On Wednesday, 13 September, within the framework of the Fifth Consultative Meeting of the Heads of Central Asian States, the First Meeting of transport ministers of Central Asian states took place, following which the Dushanbe Communique was adopted. The full text of the document follows. Heads of ministries and departments of Central Asian […]
Transport Ministers of Central Asian States Adopt Joint Communiqué at Dushanbe meeting, Approve Draft Agreement on Land Transport
The Central Asian countries highlighted the important role of transport and logistics as a basis for promoting international trade, economic growth and sustainable development. This is stated in the Joint Communique adopted today (13 Sep) following the First Meeting of transport ministers of the countries of the region, which took place in Dushanbe, the Ministry […]
Global Times: BRI’s emphasis on environmentally friendly practices has benefited Central Asia countries
An aerial view of China built Turgusun hydropower station in city of Altai, Kazakhstan. Photo: Xinhua For ten years, China and Central Asian countries have been more tightly bonded together through cooperation in the traditional energy section under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). However, the rise of Chinese companies specializing in renewable energy and […]
Turkmenistan may become a transit corridor for Uzbekistan to transport goods to Russia
Russia and Uzbekistan are exploring the possibility of organizing export-import cargo transportation along the multimodal route Uzbekistan–Turkmenistan–Caspian Sea–Russia and back. This was discussed at the meeting of the Minister of Transport of Uzbekistan Ilkhom Makhkamov with the State Secretary – Deputy Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation D. Zverev. Issues of bilateral cooperation in […]
China and Central Asia Strengthen Ties at the Cooperation Forum in Xiamen
The 10th China-Central Asia Cooperation Forum opened on Saturday in Xiamen, Fujian Province, eastern China. The two-day forum is organized by the SCO Committee on Good Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation and the People’s Government of Fujian Province and is dedicated to promoting friendly relations and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, Xinhua reports. Chinese President Xi Jinping […]
New TIR trade route opens connecting China to Pakistan and Afghanistan
IRU member CEVA Logistics and Pakistani transport company NLC completed the first operation along this new TIR route, linking Kashgar, China, to Pakistan by door-to-door road transport for the first time. NLC also extended this route to Kabul, Afghanistan. Using the global transit system TIR, three National Logistics Cell (NLC) trucks departed from China’s inland […]
Pakistan and Turkmenistan agree to forge connectivity and trade cooperation
Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Pakistan Atajan Movlamov had a meeting with Federal Minister for Commerce, Industries and Production of Pakistan Dr. Gohar Ejaz in Islamabad on 7 Sep. According to the message of the Ministry of Commerce in social nets, trade routes and rail links, gas pipelines and transit trade took center stage in discussions. […]
China’s provinces build up trade and economic relations with Uzbekistan
Another train set off last week from China to the Central Asian region, demonstrating the increasing trade and economic relations and the growing transport connectivity between China and the region. On 30 August, a train loaded with 261 cars left the Liuzhou automobile logistics base (Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China) for Tashkent, the […]
China’s Gansu Province Extends Its Reach to Central Asia with New Air Links
A batch of cargo, including machine parts and fresh-cut flowers weighing 16 tonnes, was shipped from Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport in northwest China’s Gansu Province to Almaty in Kazakhstan on August 28, 2023. The flight marked the opening of the province’s first cargo flight route connecting Central Asia, Xinhua reports. With the launch of a […]
First cargo train from Russia went to Saudi Arabia along the North-South corridor via Central Asia
The first freight train left Russia for Saudi Arabia via the North-South international transport corridor, transiting through Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran. Shahriar Shahriari, Director General of the Customs Department of the Iranian province of Golestan, said in an interview with the local press that the first freight train from Russia crossed into Iran through the […]
Paving the path to prosperity for Europe and Asia’s Landlocked Developing Countries
Rabab Fatima, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States Europe and Asia’s Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) stand at a critical juncture in their development journey. They are confronted with intricate development challenges, emanating from their lack of direct access to the sea, […]
The Belgian cargo airline “Challenge Airlines” performed its first flight to Ashgabat
The sky over Turkmenistan witnessed a significant event – the first flight and landing of a cargo plane of the Belgian airline Challenge Airlines at the Ashgabat International Airport, the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Belgium reported in social nets. After the first flight, a videoconference was convened, which was attended by the Ambassador of Turkmenistan […]
IRU and Iranian road transport sector explore key regional opportunities – visited border crossing between Iran and Turkmenistan
To further raise the security and efficiency of regional trade and transit, IRU held workshops and meetings in the Iranian cities of Tehran, Bandar Abbas and Mashhad. IRU also visited the Lotfabad border crossing between Iran and Turkmenistan. IRU member the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA), customs authorities (IRICA), the Iran […]
Two new airlines bring the number of carriers in Uzbekistan to eight
Approval of two new airlines in Uzbekistan has brought the total number of carriers in the country to eight. The newcomers are Asia Union Airlines and Tashkent Air. The other airlines are Uzbekistan Airways, Qanot Sharq, Panorama Airways, Humo Air, Centrum Air, and Silk Avia. The airlines in Uzbekistan acquired 17 airplanes during the first […]
Uzbekistan actively tries to overcome the double landlockness, harnessing the connectivity options through the Caucasus
Elvira Kadyrova Last week, Uzbekistan secured several agreements aimed at improving the logistics of its commodity flows towards Turkey and Europe through the Caucasus region. The development of international transport corridors and the creation of favorable conditions for increasing transit traffic became one of the main topics of Uzbekistan-Azerbaijan intergovernmental commission session, which took place […]
Transport connectivity under the focus of the meeting of the Central Asian Ambassadors with the European Commission’s Directorate General for International Partnership
The Ambassadors of the Central Asian countries in Belgium held talks with officials of the Directorate General of the European Commission for International Partnership (DG INTPA), headed by Regional Director Peteris Ustubs and Hors Classe Adviser Henrik Hololei. The meeting took place in Brussels on July 14, Friday. According to the Embassy of Turkmenistan in […]
Central Asia and Pakistan strive to improve transport and logistics links
Elvira Kadyrova This week, the authorities of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan discussed with Pakistan issues of transport connectivity within the framework of joint corridors that aim to connect South Asia with Central Asia, with access beyond the region. On Wednesday, 12 July, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif paid special […]
Iran and Afghanistan forge transport connectivity with the launch of the Khaf-Herat railway
On Tuesday, 11 July, the Khaf-Herat railway connecting the west of Afghanistan and the eastern province of Iran was formally commissioned, according to Afghan and Iranian news outlets. The Khaf-Herat cross-border railway with a length of about 225 km consists of four segments. The first two sections with a total length of 78 km stretch […]
China continues to forge connectivity with Central Asia
Elvira Kadyrova China continues to enhance connectivity with Central Asia by paving new transport channels to propel its flagship Belt and Road initiative. More recently, containers were sent for the first time from the eastern province of Hebei to Uzbekistan via a multimodal route, and the southeastern Shenzhen city, the largest export center of China, […]
EBRD study looks at sustainable transport connections between Europe and Central Asia
nCa Report The EBRD has recently released a report on ‘Sustainable transport connections between Europe and Central Asia.’ It is the product of massive and wide-ranging collaboration including very active cooperation by the regional countries. It is also the result of the hard work of the EBRD teams at various locations. Here is a slightly […]
Multimodal route from China to Uzbekistan via Turkmenistan has been launched
Uzbek Railways announced the launch of container trains from the Chinese port of Xiamen to Uzbekistan via Iran and Turkmenistan. 39 40-foot containers with household appliances (refrigerator, washing machine, gas stoves) went by sea from the Chinese port of Xiamen to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. Xiamen Port is one of the largest ports […]
Experts of the transport sector of Turkmenistan visited Latvia and Lithuania – outcomes of the visit
Representatives of the Association “Turkmen Logistics” and the member companies of the Association, as well as experts from other Central Asian countries made a study trip to Latvia and Lithuania in order to explore new transport routes and their potential. The trip was facilitated by the USAID Project on Trade in Central Asia, the IPC […]
Uzbekistan and Iran discuss multimodal corridor through Turkmenistan
Iran and Uzbekistan have agreed on the development of a trilateral multimodal transport corridor Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan–Iran. The relevant agreements were reached at the talks between the Minister of Transport of Uzbekistan Ilkhom Makhkamov and the Minister of Road Economy and Urban Development of Iran Mehrdod Bazrposh in Tashkent, on Monday, 19 June. Within the […]
In January-May 2023, the Turkmenbashi Port received over 200 ships from Azerbaijan
In January-May 2023, the ferry terminal of the International Seaport Turkmenbashi received 213 vessels from Baku and sent 214 vessels in the back direction, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper writes. During this period, the Turkmen ferries “Berkarar” and “Bagtyyar” performed 70 shuttle voyages to Azerbaijan. Tens of thousands of tonnes of transit and imported cargo, including […]
Turkmen transport companies are establishing partnership with the Baltic countries – the Association “Turkmen Logistics” attended the transport and logistics forum in Riga
From 11 to 17 June, representatives of the Association “Turkmen Logistics” and the member companies of the Association – JSC “Transport and Logistics Center of Turkmenistan” and Economic Society “Halkara gatnaw logistika”, take part in a study trip to the ports of Latvia and Lithuania, the Association “Turkmenlogistics” reports. The trip was organized by the […]
Cargo transportation between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan digitized
The first international transportation under the digital transport program between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan has launched, the Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan reports. This system enables the proper and timely completion of the registration process between the two sides while transferring goods through the customs border. In addition, the e-TIR project, implemented to date in Kazakhstan, […]
President of Kyrgyzstan: the development of regional transit, transport, logistics potential is the driving force for the growth in Central Asia
“It would be highly advantageous for the Central Asian countries to establish our region as a unified geo-economic space, facilitating diverse forms of successful economic cooperation and interaction,” President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Zhaparov said on 2 June, speaking at the Second high-level regional meeting with the participation of the heads of Central Asian […]
2nd International Conference and Exhibition “International Transport and Transit Corridors: Interconnection and Development” starts in Ashgabat
The 2nd International Conference and Exhibition “International Transport and Transit Corridors: Interconnection and Development” (ITTC 2023) is about to start in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov sent a congratulatory message to the participants of the conference, noting: “Thanks to the favorable geographical location, our sovereign Motherland is turning into one of the main […]
Digital transformation of railway transport discussed at the ESCAP meeting in Almaty
The second Expert Group Meeting and Capacity Building Workshop on Digital Transformation of Railway and Multimodal Transport in North and Central Asia were held on 26-27 April 2023 in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in a hybrid format, the press service of the TRACECA Project reports. At the meeting of the Expert Group, the ESCAP Secretariat presented several […]
Expert Club of North-South Transport Corridor is working on opening branches in Turkmenistan and other Central Asian countries
The Caspian International Integration Club “North-South” is an expert and coordination platform for the promotion of the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC), may open its representative offices in Turkmenistan and other Central Asian countries. The statement came from the chairman of the Club Ramazan Abdulatipov at the opening ceremony of the Club’s branch in New […]
Kazakhstan aims to build up its transit capacity between China and Central Asia
Kazakhstan aims to construct a large commercial and logistics hub on the bypass railway around Almaty, which will be built to boost the transit flows from China to Central Asia, The transit goods to/from neighboring China have been delivered to Kazakhstan through the Altynkol – Khorgos border crossing, where there is an intensive growth in […]
Uzbekistan proposed Turkmenistan to use an electronic permit system in international transportation
Uzbekistan offers Turkmenistan to switch to the E-permit system, which implies the electronic exchange of permit forms for international road transportation. The proposal was announced on 10 March in Ashgabat at a meeting of the Minister of Transport of Uzbekistan Ilkhom Makhkamov with the Chairman of the Agency for Transport and Communications under the Cabinet […]
AD Ports Group enters the logistics market of Uzbekistan, forges its presence in Central Asia
The UAE-based AD Ports Group (AD Ports) and SEG ENERA Group, one of the multisectoral holding companies of Uzbekistan, announced Monday, 6 March 2023, the creation of a new joint venture ADL-Ulanish, which will provide comprehensive global logistics services across Uzbekistan. According to the press service of AD Ports Group, Through the new joint venture […]
The ground realities are transforming TAPI into CAPS – Part Three
Tariq Saeedi and Elvira Kadyrova CAPS is going places, with all the elements of TAPI amplifying in scope and geographical spread in every direction. The new and emerging ground realities are driving this amazing makeover. The primary ground reality is the situation in Ukraine, with many secondary ground realities as its byproducts. As mentioned in […]
During its CICA Chairmanship, Kazakhstan will focus on enhancing connectivity in Asia
Kazakhstan and CICA (Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia) have signed a roadmap for the Implementation of the Kazakh Chairmanship’s Priorities in CICA for 2023-2024. The document was signed in Astana on 22 February 2023 in Astana by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Kanat Tumysh, and the Secretary General […]
Why is Russia interested in forging marine connectivity with Turkmenistan?
The creation of shipping lines between Astrakhan ports and the port of Turkmenbashi has been the subject of recent negotiations in Astrakhan with the participation of representatives of Rosmorrechflot (Russian marine and river fleet), the government of the Astrakhan region, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, representatives of the Astrakhan special economic zone “Lotos” and logistics companies. […]
Construction of Rasht-Astara railway line in Iran with Russian financing will connect railway systems of Iran and Azerbaijan
Russia is almost ready to finance the construction of the Rasht-Astara railway line along the Caspian coast of Iran. Russia’s State Council Secretary Igor Levitin, accompanied by the senior railway officials of Iran, inspected the proposed track route by helicopter on 18 January 2023. Iranian deputy transportation minister Kheirollah Khademi said that Iran and Russia […]
First-ever in the world, eTIR operations launched in air freight between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan
On 27 December 2022, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan launched the world’s first cargo transportation project using eTIR, Uzbek news agency “Dunyo” reports. The project involves the state Customs Committees of Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan, UN Economic Commission for Europe, the International Road Transport Union, the Association of International Road Carriers of Uzbekistan (AIRCUZ), the Organization of Turkic […]
Georgia builds up port capacity and aims to be the main gateway of Central Asia to Europe
Elvira Kadyrova The role of the Georgian Black Sea ports in the transport and logistics chains between Central Asia and Europe is difficult to underestimate. And regarding the significance of Georgia as a transit country in a broader Eurasian context, we can say that many continental routes converge here on the Georgian Black Sea coast […]
Turkmenistan recorded an increase in container traffic
During the period from January to November 2022, the volume of container traffic through Turkmenistan increased by 41% compared to the same period last year, reported the State Customs Service of Turkmenistan. According to customs statistics, container traffic increased by 157% in 2021. Ensuring favorable conditions for the transportation of goods in containers is one […]
Finnish operator launches express container service to Central Asia
The Finnish operator Nurminen Logistics offers regular and high-speed container shuttle service from Europe to Kazakhstan and back in cooperation with the State Railways of Kazakhstan (KTZ). The new service is called “TransCaspian Express”. It will run on the route Altynkol (Kazakhstan) – the port of Aktau (Kazakhstan) – the port of Baku (Azerbaijan) – […]
Kyrgyzstan is eager to launch a corridor to Russia via the Caspian port of Turkmenistan
The establishing a multimodal corridor Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan – Turkmenistan (port of Turkmenbashi)– Russia (Astrakhan port) was discussed during the working visit to Turkmenistan of the Minister of Transport and Communications of the Kyrgyz Republic Tilek Tekebayev. During the bilateral meetings with representatives of the transport authorities of Turkmenistan, issues of bilateral cooperation in cargo […]
Turkmenistan and Russia to expand transport cooperation
Elvira Kadyrova Turkmenistan and Russia are actively fostering transport cooperation, both in the field of infrastructure, as well as within major regional transport connectivity projects. Creation of a Transport commission One of the steps in this direction was the formation of a joint Turkmen-Russian commission on transport, transit and logistics, which was announced during a […]
Europe launches railway freight service to Central Asia
Finland-based operator Nurminen Logistics, has started regular railway transport operations from Finland and Europe to Kazakhstan in co-operation with Kazakh State Railways (KTZE), the company’s press service said. The first consignment left Helsinki for Kazakhstan at the end of November and the next shipments will be in December. The route serves the import and export needs […]
North-South corridor gains traction, but faces bottlenecks and needs investments
Elvira Kadyrova The International North-South Transit corridor (INSTC) actively promoted by Russia connects the Eurasian Economic Union, Central Asia, the Caucasus, South Asia, East Africa and the Middle East by the shortest routes. Its eastern branch, overlapping with the route of the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway, is one of the essential links. Kazakhstan is making significant efforts […]
Cargo turnover along the Middle Corridor may grow to 10 million tons per year in three years
The capacity of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TMTM) or the Middle Corridor may increase to 10 million tons per year by 2025. The agreement on this was reached during the Ministerial Meeting on Trans-Caspian Connectivity, which was attended by the foreign and transport ministers of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye. The meeting took place […]
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Islamabad calls for improving transport connectivity with Turkmenistan
President of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari made a proposal to create a Turkmen-Pakistani joint transport company. The idea was announced on Wednesday, 9 November, during a meeting with the Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Pakistan Atajan Movlamov. According to Pakistani news outlets, Bakhtawari spoke in favor of developing strong […]
Turkmenistan opens border crossings for the movement of foreign vehicles
Turkmen Motor Transport Agency has notified that from 7 November 2022, Turkmenistan will allow drivers of foreign and Turkmen vehicles to enter, exit, and transit through the following border crossings, subject to the necessary requirements: Turkmenbashi International Seaport “Artyk” (border with Iran) “Sarakhs” (border with Iran), “Garabogaz” (border with Kazakhstan) “Altyn asyr” (border with Iran) […]