Several international transport corridors lie through Turkmenistan due to its geostrategic location. One of them is TRACECA. In spite the fact that Turkmenistan is not a signer of the “Main multilateral agreement on international transport on Europe – Caucasus - Asia corridor development (MMA)” the country is a significant partner of this program.
Sahra Amanov, Deputy Chairman of the Association “Turkmen Logistics” on the pages of the “Neutral Turkmenistan” newspaper in details clarified the country’s participation in this program.
TRACECA is a Europe – Caucasus - Asia transport corridor. This program was invoked in May 1993 at the conference in Brussels with the participation of the Ministers of trade and transport from 8 countries: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. The conference participants adopted a Declaration on the development of a transport corridor from Europe through the Black Sea, the Caucasus, the Caspian Sea with access to the countries of Central Asia.
Now this international transport corridor includes 13 participating countries, as well as observer countries in the TRACECA Intergovernmental Commission.
Turkmenistan, being an important transport and logistic unit, makes significant contribution to the development of TRACECA and increase of transit cargo transportation volume. The goal-oriented policy on establishment of extensive transport infrastructure in the country promotes it as the most important factor in the socio-economic development of the country. Thus, new automobile roads and railways were built and modernized, international airports and international Turkmenbashi sea port were erected, the civil aviation and shipping material and technical basis were renovated. Turkmenistan enhances the international cooperation in the transport sphere, forms logistic hubs on its territory.
With the participation of Turkmenistan as a partner of the TRACECA Program, several dozen projects related to technical and organizational issues of cargo transportation were implemented.
Having a modern transport infrastructure and guided by the Program of Development of diplomacy in the transport sector for 2022-2025, Turkmenistan is actively entering the world market with the offer of its transport and logistics services. And Turkmenistan's logistics strategy defines a qualitatively new development of the entire complex of transport and communications industries. An important role in this is played by the Association “Turkmen Logistics”, which unites more than 140 transport and logistics companies.
Among long-range goals of Turkmenistan there is the affiliation with TRACECA Intergovernmental Commission. The country will consider the opportunities of using a multi-purpose digital solution to improve multimodal transportation – a Global Transit Document. Turkmenistan is ready to continue a joint implementation of TRACECA corresponding documents targeted on the extension of investment opportunities of transport – transit corridors on along the Asia–Europe, Europe–Middle East, in particular the Afghanistan–Turkmenistan–Azerbaijan–Georgia–Turkey transport corridor and the Caspian Sea–Black Sea.
The representatives of the TRACECA Program, for their part, express their interest in Turkmenistan's early accession to the “Main multilateral agreement on international transport on Europe – Caucasus - Asia corridor development (MMA)”. This will make it possible to realize the country's great economic potential even more effectively, will give impetus to the development of the transport sector of Turkmenistan, and will also ensure the consistent and effective revival of the Great Silk Road.
TRACECA also hopes for Turkmenistan's participation in the implementation of pilot transportation using blockchain technologies.
Previously we reported that “Turkmen Logistics” and “Kazlogistics” signed a memorandum of cooperation.
