Ports of Turkmenbashi and Alat to gain new dynamics of partnership
Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan are interested in establishing closer cooperation between the Caspian ports of Turkmenbashi and Alat. These and other issues of economic cooperation were discussed at the meeting of the Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Baku Mekan Ishanguliyev with the Minister of economy of this country Shahin Mustafayev.
It was stressed at the meeting that a special impetus to the deepening of Turkmen-Azerbaijani relations was given after the visit of the Turkmen leader to Azerbaijan last year, resulted in signing an important set of documents, including a Declaration on strategic partnership.
The parties discussed ways to increase transport cooperation with the use of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway line, prospects for cooperation in the field of information and communication technologies and tourism.
Azerbaijani minister and Turkmen high-ranking diplomat agreed that the launch of the international seaport in Turkmenbashi creates prospects for the expansion of transport and transit cooperation.
In particular, the matter is about the Baku international sea trade port complex in the village of Alat, which was commissioned less than two weeks after the opening of the largest harbor of the Caspian sea - Turkmenbashi port.
The port of Alat, located 80 kilometers south-west of Baku, is designed for handling of 15 million tons of cargo, including 100 thousand TEU per year. And now there are plans to bring the port's capacity to half a million containers per year.
Alat and Turkmenbashi, which are almost on the same parallel (in other words, against each other), are connected by ferry since 2014. In recent years, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan have aimed to expand the participation of this Caspian route in the TRACECA transport corridor (Europe – Caucasus – Asia).
