Tariffs for Trans-Caspian transport route to be agreed soon

By Azernews

By Amina Nazarli

The heads of Azerbaijani, Georgian and Kazakh railway agencies gathered in Baku on April 1 to discuss mutual issues on Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.

As part of the meeting of the Union of Legal Entities of the “Trans-Caspian International Transport Route” Association, a protocol signing ceremony was held.

The protocol was signed by Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways Javid Gurbanov, Chairman of Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping CJSC Rauf Valiyev, President of Kazakhstan Railways Kanat Alpysbayev and Chairman of Georgian Railways Mamuka Bakhtadze.

The protocol was also signed by Head of the Baku International Sea Trade Port Taleh Ziyadov, Head of the Aktau International Sea Trade Port Abay Turikpenbayev and Head of the Batumi Sea Port Murat Jumadillayev.

The parties approved the regulations on membership in the Union of Legal Entities of the “Trans-Caspian International Transport Route” Association, composition of a working group on development of the transport route, action plan for 2017, the Union charter and its logo.

The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route runs through China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and then through Turkey and Ukraine to Europe.

In October 2016, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Georgia signed an agreement on the establishment of the “Trans-Caspian International Transport Route” Association with its office in Astana. Its activities are aimed at attracting transit and foreign trade cargo, as well as developing integrated logistics products via the Route.

Speaking at the event, Gurbanov said that single tariffs for cargo transportation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route will be determined in the near future.

He said that the tariffs will be developed taking into account Ukraine’s joining this route.

“After the signing of today’s protocol, Ukraine will also officially become a member of our route,” Gurbanov said. “If earlier Batumi was our final destination, now the route will continue through Ukraine, so the tariffs will be set considering this factor.”

Alpysbayev, talking to reporters on the sidelines of the event, said that the staff of the association will be fully formed until late 2017.

The association’s staff will include representatives of all its member organizations, he said, noting that this will make it possible to further elaborate a general action plan for the promotion of this transport project.

“This route is very promising, and the efforts made by all countries of this route to develop transport and logistics infrastructure will guarantee its success,” Alpysbayev said.

Talking about Kazakhstan’s new Kuryk port, he said that the country plans to export over 450,000 tons of gas oil via the new port and then through Azerbaijan and Georgia until late 2017.

He noted that currently the work is underway to expand the line of cargoes transported through the port of Kuryk, and first of all, the export of goods from Kazakhstan is being considered.

Also, the opportunities for the transportation of transit cargo, for example, raw sugar, in the volume of over 150,000-200,000 tons back to Uzbekistan before the end of the year through the Kuryk port are being worked out, he added.

Alpysbayev said that more than 15,000 tons of cargoes have been transported through the port of Kuryk so far.

“Until the end of the year, it is planned to transport about one million tons of cargoes in all directions,” he said.

The first cargo arrived at the Baku International Sea Trade Port from Kazakhstan’s new port Kuryk in Alat on March 25, 2017.

The Kuryk port with a total area of 40 hectares is located on the Trans-Caspian international transport route, which is of great importance for handling the cargo going via this route.

The new complex is located closer to the Baku port, than the Aktau port, through which transit was carried out previously. The voyage from Kuryk to Baku takes 18 hours.