Turkmenistan enters the world market with the offer of transport and logistics services, and this offer is very relevant and in demand today. By offering to use its economically extremely profitable routes for the transit of goods, the country stimulates the activation of trade relations in the region, which in turn is a significant prerequisite for the development of continental trade relations, will have a positive impact on the rise of the entire world trade, where in recent years there has been a decrease in the volume of trade turnover between states. This was stated by the chairman of the agency “Turkmendemiryollary” (Turkmen Railways) Azat Atamuradov at the international conference “Sustainable transport-contribution to sustainable development”.

The Ashgabat Forum is timed to coincide with the World Day of Sustainable Transport, celebrated for the first time this year on November 26. It was preceded by a series of significant events, including the V meeting of the heads of railway administrations of the countries participating in the CASCA+ route connecting the Asia-Pacific region and China through Central Asia and the Caucasus with Europe, which took place on November 15-17 in the Turkmen capital.

Azat Atamuradov also noted the importance of signing in 2011 an agreement on the establishment of an international transport and transit corridor between the governments of Iran, Oman, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, known as the Ashgabat Agreement. Qatar, Kazakhstan and India have also joined this project.

The Lapis Lazuli corridor, which connects Afghanistan with Turkey and Europe, has a great future. The agreement on it was signed in 2017 between Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. This transport corridor is designed to enhance the economic integration of the region and contribute to improving the lives of the Afghan people through the involvement of this country in world trade.

The Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Iran railway, which is of strategic importance for the revival of the Great Silk Road in a new format, the development of trade between the countries of Central Asia, the Caspian region and neighboring regions, has opened new opportunities for increasing cargo turnover between the countries of the continent. Taking into account the changed situation in the world, Turkmenistan proposed to develop the North–South corridor, take measures to reduce existing barriers in order to increase the potential of the transport sector.

Turkmenistan is actively working on the creation of an international integrated logistics network, and recently the country joined the TRACECA international corridor agreement, Atamuradov noted.

The railway infrastructure of Turkmenistan has significantly expanded due to radical modernization. 5,173 kilometers of steel roads provide reliable communication between the regions of the country, improving transit opportunities and stimulating the economic growth of the country.

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