The agenda of the Ashgabat conference on international transport and transit corridors largely corresponds to the ADB Strategy until 2030, said Arthur Andrisiak, Director of the Permanent Mission in Turkmenistan of the Asian Development Bank.

Speaking at the forum, he spoke about how ADB is supporting Turkmenistan's efforts to reposition itself as a trade and transit hub and diversify its markets. Among other things, this support is to promote the development of the private sector through investment in transport infrastructure.

In the transport sector, ADB's program in Turkmenistan aims to modernize the rail network. Thus, the North-South railway project, approved in 2011, was the first ADB loan for Turkmenistan. The signaling, power supply and communication systems on 288 km of tracks were upgraded. This has improved Turkmenistan's direct access to Kazakhstan and improved connectivity to corridors linking Iran, the Russian Federation and South Asia. The project has more than doubled international traffic, to around 7.1 million tons, and helped reduce CO2 emissions by 27,000 tons.

ADB is currently supporting Turkmenistan in preparing a feasibility study for the Turkmenabat-Mary-Ashgabat-Turkmenbashi railway line. The project aims to improve the efficiency of passenger and freight traffic along the 1,147 km line and will connect all international corridors transiting Turkmenistan.

The preparation of the project is ongoing, with the initial stages focusing on the modernization of the 170-km Ashgabat-Dushak section.

– We hope that, in close cooperation with the Turkmen Railways Agency, we will be able to submit the first project loan for approval by the ADB Board of Directors early next year, – Andrisiak said.

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