
Baku | ORIENT. The Caspian Sea is becoming a key link in global routes. A working meeting between the directors of the region's two largest ports, Parakhat Jumayev (Turkmenbashi) and Eldar Salakhov (Baku International Sea Port), took place in Baku. The participation of Turkmenistan's Ambassador, Gurbanmammet Elyasov, in the talks underscored the high strategic importance of this dialogue.
The Economy of Numbers and Routes. The meeting took place against a backdrop of positive momentum: according to Azerbaijan, transit traffic between our countries increased by 13% in 2025, exceeding 1.2 million tons in the first seven months of the year alone. The main trend is the growth of multimodal transportation and containerization. Reductions in tariffs for port and rail services have already borne fruit, transforming the Turkmenbashi-Alat connection into the most efficient route in the Middle Corridor.
From the Caspian to the Black Sea. The parties paid special attention to the development of the "Great Transit"—the Caspian Sea–Black Sea corridor. This ambitious project connects our ports with the Georgian ports of Poti and Batumi, and further on with Constanta, Romania. Essentially, the goal is to create a unified logistics space, with Turkmenbashi serving as the main gateway to Central Asia.
Digital Dialogue and the "Green Corridor." In addition to traditional oil and railcar transshipment, the ports are actively discussing the implementation of end-to-end information exchange. This will make transit seamless, reducing customs and paperwork time. Integration into European transport standards is also being discussed within the context of the regional agenda, which is particularly important for developing cooperation with the European Union.