President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev watched via a video link the ceremony marking the arrival of a container train from China's Xi'an terminal to Baku's Absheron station.

The host of the event said:

- Dear Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich.

Dear Ilham Heydar oglu.

Today, we are welcoming the first container train from the Kazakhstan-China terminal. The train reached Baku in 11 days. Please pay attention to this.

Then, the video showing the arrival of the train was screened.

This container train’s dispatching by the Transport Logistics Centre in Xi'an, China, which is owned by Kazakhstan, is of great significance for all participants of the Middle Corridor route. The train, consisting of 61 containers, covered the 7,000 km long route (from the Kazakhstan terminal in Xi'an to Aktau and ultimately to the Absheron station) in 11 days. During the multimodal transportation, the containers were reloaded at the ports of Kazakhstan and then transported via the Caspian Sea to the Baku International Sea Trade Port and subsequently to the Absheron station.

The launch of the Transport Logistics Centre in China, which aims to significantly increase the volume of cargo transportation along the route, is intended to promote the development of the Middle Corridor and attract new cargoes. According to initial planning, it is expected to dispatch 10 container trains to Azerbaijan per month through the Kazakhstan-owned logistics center in China.

Moreover, a digital DTC platform has been created to develop the Middle Corridor, and the digital systems of the Azerbaijani and Kazakh railways have been integrated with a "Track and Trace" function for real-time tracking of cargoes along the route. The creation and development of a unified digital ecosystem is increasingly enhancing the transparency and attractiveness of the Middle Corridor.

Azerbaijani and Kazakh railways have already teamed up to significantly increase the volume of cargo transportation by 2024.

Meanwhile, during January-February 2024, the volume of cargo transportation between KTZ and ADY increased by 25 % compared to the same period in 2023, amounting to 539.5 thousand tons.

Previously, the delivery of cargoes from China to the Black Sea ports via the Middle Corridor used to take approximately 53 days, whereas now it has been reduced to 18 days.

Host: The train has arrived. Allow me to commence the ceremony.

President Ilham Aliyev said:

- I would like to congratulate transport workers on this significant event. Today, within the framework of the state visit of the President of Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan, issues related to the transport and logistical sector were discussed in detail. The decisions we make essentially help make such beautiful ceremonies happen. Today, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are working hard in the direction of strengthening mutual activity in all directions, including the field of transit transport, the area related to connectivity. Our bilateral cooperation is a part of our multilateral cooperation within the framework of the implementation of both the Trans-Caspian transport route and the Middle Corridor projects. The plans discussed today allow our countries' railways the opportunities not to remain idle and such container trains to become a part of our daily life.

The more cargo is transported between our countries in different directions, the more our cooperation will develop, and Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan will play a greater role in international transportation.

I congratulate Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, as well as our partners in China, on this significant event again. Let the path of the train be clear.

x x x

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said:

- Dear colleagues, I would like to heartily congratulate all of you on this significant event of tremendous importance. In fact, the Eurasian continent has created a transport and logistical framework. I believe that today's event will be written in golden letters in the history of mutual activity and cooperation between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are natural strategic allies and partners in all fields of cooperation, including, of course, transport and logistics. Today, during our negotiations, we talked a lot about this area, which unites not only our countries but also many neighboring states.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to the government of the People's Republic of China for their goodwill and cooperation. I also agree with the respected President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Heydarovich Aliyev.