The southern branch of the east-west corridor offers unparalleled connectivity. A 20-day road transport operation is a recent example of that. Goods were transported by road from Shanghai, under the TIR system, to the Armenian capital of Yerevan in just 20 days. The truck exited China from the Khorgos border crossing between China and Kazakhstan, […]
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan to connect energy systems – MoU inked in Tashkent
Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan are joining forces to create a unified energy grid, paving the way for a future of green energy exports to Europe. On May 1, Tashkent hosted the second meeting of the Ministers of Energy of Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, during which the parties signed a memorandum of cooperation on the interconnection […]
Kazakhstan Becomes Largest Transit Hub Between China and Europe
About 85% of all land transit traffic from China to Europe passes through Kazakhstan, Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov said at the official opening ceremony of the 6th China International Import Expo in Shanghai on 5 November 2023. Kazakhstan plays a strategic role as a regional transport and logistics hub, connecting the Eurasian continent with the […]
Southern corridor connecting China to Europe via Turkmenistan, Iran and Turkey has great potential, says IRU Secretary General
IRU’s Secretary General held high-level talks with Mohammad Rezvanifar, President of the Iranian Customs Administration, in Geneva on how to further enhance transport and transit in Iran. Both sides discussed the latest developments in international logistics chain, particularly given Iran’s pivotal geographical position and its active role in the Economic Cooperation Organization region, which makes […]
Railway can drive Central Asia’s development faster
Djoomart Otorbaev The Belt and Road Initiative has built remarkably efficient railways connecting China and Europe via Central Asia. These rail routes did not exist even a decade ago. Within a short period, they have boosted local and national economies thanks to their solid infrastructure, smooth operation and socioeconomic impacts. Between January and August in […]
Aliyev voiced Azerbaijan’s views on gas transportation options through the Caspian Sea
Gas delivery from Turkmenistan to Europe requires the construction of a pipeline along the bottom of the Caspian Sea, as well as additional gas transportation infrastructure through Azerbaijan, following the example of the Southern Gas Corridor. This is the essence of the statements made by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the opening ceremony of the […]
First container train from Uzbekistan crosses Caspian, carried by Turkmen ship Balkan from Turkmenbashi to Baku
According to several media reports including APA and Qafqazinfo of Azerbaijan, the first container train from Uzbekistan has crossed the Caspian Sea. The crossing, from the Turkmenbashi Port of Turkmenistan to the Baku Port of Azerbaijan was made with the help of the feeder ship Balkan. MV Balkan is part of the Turkmen maritime fleet. […]
Azerbaijan intends to provide Europe with green energy
Elvira Kadyrova The longest electric cable in the world will connect Azerbaijan and Europe, laying a green energy bridge between the Caspian region and the EU. On 17 December 2022, Bucharest hosted the signing of the Agreement on a strategic partnership in the field of green energy development and transmission between the Governments of the […]
Central Asian-European Relations: A Retrospective of the Issue
“Amir Temur with Ambassadors” by Malik Nabiyev (1994) Azer Adygezalov, Leading Researcher at the International Institute of Central Asia In the history of mankind there are many examples of historical, cultural, humanitarian, trade, economic and ethno-political interaction between European and Asian civilizations. The Great Silk Road, which in antiquity and the Middle Ages connected the […]
Ukraine Quandary – Part 4 – A recklessly honest admiral and a cautiously shifting Europe
Tariq Saeedi Biden wants Putin to start the war and Putin responds by increasing the pressure without firing the opening shot. It is a game of nerves – at least for now. Biden has started deploying American soldiers in Europe. This is posturing into blind alley. In the larger scheme of things, will the American […]
Kazakhstan Unrest – Some Lessons for Central Asia
Tariq Saeedi The unrest in Kazakhstan has been contained. There is no doubt that it was an attempt for Color Revolution with the aim of toppling the government in Kazakhstan and the aspiration that it would spread to Russia. The challenge now, not just for Kazakhstan but the entire region, is to identify the causes […]
Putin’s views on natural gas supplies to Europe
The Russian TV Channel One asked President Putin during the annual press conference on 23 December 2021 about the supplies of natural gas to Europe. Here is the question and answer: Channel One Pavel Krasnov, Channel One. Mr President, the issue of gas is dominating minds, above all in Europe, of course. We are seeing […]
The Law, the Rights and the Rules
Sergey Lavrov, Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs The frank and generally constructive conversation that took place at the June 16, 2021 summit meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Joseph Biden in Geneva resulted in an agreement to launch a substantive dialogue on strategic stability, reaffirming the crucial premise that nuclear war is unacceptable. The two […]
Turkmen gas is a viable competitor of Iran and Russia in Europe – Russian expert
Elvira Kadyrova Turkmen gas, once on the European market, is able to wipe out the position of Russian Gazprom and a deprive Iran of potential market. This point of view was expressed in an interview with the news agency “Vestnik Kavkaza” by Andrey Kazantsev, Doctor of Political Sciences, chief researcher of the Analytical Center of […]
Hungary committed to purchase natural gas from Turkmenistan through Southern Gas Corridor
The ministry of foreign affairs and trade of Hungary has reaffirmed in a recent statement the commitment to purchase natural gas from Turkmenistan through the Southern Gas Corridor. This, obviously, is subject to the availability of the necessary infrastructure for transportation of gas through the Caspian Sea. Tamas Menczer, State Secretary of Hungary at the […]
Ports never compete with each other – They always cooperate
Tariq Saeedi Ports, by nature, thrive in cooperation with each other. That is why the concepts of transit, transshipment, and multimodal transportation exist. Historically, the rise of ports, particularly in Europe, coincided with the demise of the ancient Silk Road. Now that the Great Silk Road is bouncing back, in concerted drive by a number […]
Турция – незаменимый союзник для безопасности Европы
Министр иностранных дел Турции Мевлют Чавушоглу Борьба с террористическими организациями, такими как ИГИЛ, и управление потоками эмиграции – это самые сложные проблемы, с которыми сталкиваются сегодня европейские страны. И Турция по-прежнему играет важную роль в международных действиях по их решению. Именно при помощи Турция Европейский Союз (ЕС) смог урегулировать поток эмигрантов из Сирии. Турция не […]
Turkey: The best ally for the security of Europe
Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey Nowadays, the hardest challenges European countries confront are fighting against terrorist organizations such as DAESH and the management of migration flows. Turkey continues to hold an essential role within the context of international efforts in overcoming these challenges. It is Turkey, who has enabled the European Union […]
Time to bust the myths about Turkey — Europe couldn’t do without us
Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Turkey Urban myths have crept into European public debates about Turkey. Every now and then, one has to pause and deflate a few of them. Let me do so on five key issues. Syria: Turkey has been pulling every string to achieve three objectives. First, it is leading efforts […]
Kaleidoscoping the Migrant Problem-Opportunity Dilemma
Ben Tanosborn Pictures of migrant-exiles from the Middle East, not just Syrians but Iraqis and Afghanis as well, are currently being transmitted by CNN, Aljazeera English and other news giants to homes all over the world in customary repetition which most of us would agree exceeds the canons of proper news reporting. Fodder news portraying […]
Aylan shakes the world and sends powerful message to Central Asia
Tariq Saeedi Warning: This article carries graphic images some may find distressing Ashgabat, 7 September 2015 (nCa) — Bawling our eyes out and shaming Europe into accepting more migrants may seem like the right way to show our misplaced remorse and belated love for Aylan. As if our tears and hysterics would somehow undo or […]
Айлан потряс мир и послал мощный сигнал для Центральной Азии
Warning: This article carries graphic images some may find distressing Тарик Саиди Ашхабад, 7 сентября 2015 г. (nCa) —Если накричать на Европу и заставить ее принять большее число мигрантов, нам может показаться, что мы правильном пути, чтобы проявить наше неуместное раскаяние и запоздалую любовь к Айлану. — Но так ли это на самом деле? Как […]
Turkmen Oil and Gas Minister Addresses Press Conference
Ashgabat, 1 June 2011 (nCa) — The Turkmen oil and gas minister, Bairamgeldy Nedirov, addressed Tuesday a press conference attended by the foreign journalists accredited in Turkmenistan. After some brief remarks, he took a few questions from the journalists. The foreign office spokesman said that such media encounters with top officials would be arranged on […]
Второй Газовый Конгресс Туркменистана
Доклад nCa Аваза, 26 мая 2011 (nCa) — В среду в национальной туристической зоне Аваза стартовал второй Международный Газовый Конгресс Туркменистана. Уже в первый день форума прозвучал ряд ключевых заявлений. Британская аудиторская компания «Gaffney, Cline & Associates (GCA)» сообщила, что нынешние оценки газовых ресурсов месторождения Осман – Йолатань превышают даже предыдущие. В 2008 году компания […]
Second Gas Congress of Turkmenistan
nCa Report Avaza, 26 May 2011 (nCa) — The second Gas Congress of Turkmenistan started Wednesday at Avaza, the national tourist zone of Turkmenistan at the Caspian coast. Some key declarations were made on the first day of the 2-day event. They connect with two other developments that took place elsewhere simultaneously. The British […]