OSCE project on development of green ports launched in Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan hosted two launch events under the OSCE project “Promoting Green Ports and Connectivity in the Caspian Region”. The expert round table was held in Ashgabat and a technical workshop - in the international seaport of Turkmenbashi.
The meetings in Turkmenbashi and the capital gathered more than 60 participants, including representatives of the ministries of industry and communications, trade and foreign economic relations, energy, as well as specialists of port and customs authorities, logistics companies.
Together with OSCE experts, they discussed the key stages of the project, identified national needs for technical assistance and the main benefits that a unified approach to the digitalization of Caspian ports would bring.
The OSCE project “Promoting Green Ports and Connectivity in the Caspian Region”, covering three countries - Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan - aims at establishing sustainable links and trade between the Caspian ports.
It is expected that through comprehensive stakeholder engagement, technical assistance and realistic solutions, the project will become an effective mechanism for strengthening economic cooperation between the mentioned Caspian countries.
Moreover, the project is in tune with efforts to further develop the Caspian sea as a regional logistics and trade hub, which will ultimately enhance stability and security in the OSCE area and the economic well-being of peoples.
"We are very happy to support this important project which will further improve the economic co-operation between Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, help reduce the carbon footprint of transport and promote sustainable connectivity," said Diego Ungaro, Ambassador of Italy to Turkmenistan.
According to the Ambassador of Germany Neithart Höfer-Wissing, connectivity is very important in a globalized world and should be further promoted between Central Asian countries.
“Turkmenistan plays an increasingly active role in the existing international and regional political dialogues and in initiatives aimed at boosting economic co-operation in the wider region,” said Ivana Markovic Boskovic, Officer-in-Charge of the OSCE Centre in Ashgabat.
“This flagship project will provide an additional impetus to the Centre`s ongoing activities in the area of promoting instruments of trade and transport facilitation and digitalization along with developing transit potential of the beneficiary countries”, she added.
Daniel Kroos, OSCE Senior Programme Officer, explained that a growing interdependence between the economies in the region calls for a comprehensive approach to energy, digital data exchange and transport infrastructure.
He said such an approach is needed to accommodate the fast-growing trade between Asia and Europe to ensure sustainable connectivity.
The project “Promoting Green Ports and Connectivity in the Caspian Region” is supported financially by Germany, Italy, Iceland and Azerbaijan.
