By Trend

Azerbaijan considers involving 60,000 wheeled vehicles (TIR)??to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) as part of cooperation with Türkiye, Head of Strategic Planning and Development Department at Baku International Sea Trade Port Khudayar Hasanli told Trend.

According to him, the annual rise in the freight traffic, particularly in container cargo and wheeled vehicles, is being recorded in the Baku port.

"A fertilizer transshipment terminal is to be commissioned on the Baku International Sea Trade Port's area by the end of 2022 – beginning of 2023, contributing to transshipment of nearly three million tons per year. Moreover, the growth capacity for handling TEU containers is estimated at 240,000-250,000 per annum," the head of the department said.

He also noted the transportation of a large bulk cargo flow along the TITR, as well as talked about plans of building a relevant terminal within the second phase of expanding the Baku port.

Hasanli added that the wheeled vehicle movement (TIR) ??between Central Asian countries and Türkiye reaches about 120,000 TIRs at an annual rate.

"Only 20 percent of the vehicles are currently passing through Azerbaijan, and the Port aims to increase this figure up to 50 percent (or nearly 60,000 trucks). It's planned to establish a TIR-park on the area of the Baku International Sea Port in the near future," he emphasized.

The head of the department underscored that the current transshipment of wheeled vehicles in the Baku port totals nearly 35,000-40,000 TIR trucks.

"Over 80 percent of the equipment falls on trucks from Türkiye. In addition, Azerbaijan has transit opportunities to attract most of these goods to its territory," Hasanli said.