Turkmenistan as a transit hub is of great importance – representative of UND Turkey
The coronavirus pandemic clearly demonstrated the colossal importance of Turkmenistan as an important transport and transit hub for the region, said the representative of the International Transporters Association (UND Turkey) at a profile conference in Ashgabat, who presented the report of Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Association Alper Ozel.
– If you look at what happened after the forced closure of the borders by Turkmenistan due to the pandemic, you can see that traffic jams immediately formed on the Georgian-Turkish and Georgian-Russian borders. The idle time of cargoes reached more than 30 days. The transit of Turkish carriers during this period fell by 40%, the report noted.
The UND considers these figures as evidence of the colossal transit significance of Turkmenistan. As an alternative transit hub, Turkmenistan can become a link between China and Europe, according to the association.
– The opening of the transit corridors of Turkmenistan in the current post-pandemic period has literally saved the transport sector, – stated in the report of the Chairman of the Executive Committee of UND Turkey.
Also, the coronavirus pandemic has become a lesson for transport companies around the world. “We have learned that for a sustainable global economy, every transit corridor must remain alive and develop. Turkmenistan was one of the countries that understood and applied these principles.”
At the same time, it is necessary to continue making efforts to create and expand an alternative transport corridor through Turkmenistan, according to UND Turkey. “We would like to see, for example, the possibility of simplifying the visa regime for drivers through digitalization, thereby reducing the time to obtain a visa.”
– At the same time, we are waiting for the opening of other checkpoints in Turkmenistan, such as the Turkmenbashi Sea Port, which is very important for all transporters,- the report at the conference said.
ORIENT news
