Promising route: Armenia–Iran–Turkmenistan–Kazakhstan

31.08.2024

The development of the transport sector in the modern era is listed among the key factors of geopolitics, serves as a powerful integration resource that provides great economic and political preferences to states and regions, and promotes joint efforts to achieve sustainable development goals. In this context, large-scale projects are being implemented aimed at creating a modern, extensive and safe international transport infrastructure, turning the transport segment into one of the main mechanisms for the development of the global economy. Based on this, the most important component of the state policy implemented today by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov is the development of transit and transport infrastructure. Turkmenistan's advantageous geographical position - at the intersection of international transport routes running through Central Asia, predetermined the enormous potential of the industry in the field of transit transportation, and significant capital investments in this area have brought it into the category of one of the most dynamically developing areas of the national economy. At the same time, the role of Turkmenistan as the largest hub in the formation of an extensive, complex, combined transport infrastructure covering vast areas of Eurasia with access to the sea terminals of the Caspian, Black Sea and Baltic regions, South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region is steadily growing. Today, our country is expanding transport and transit corridors in the North-South and East–West directions, actively participates in the creation of international transport corridors, putting forward specific proposals to optimize transport flows, create new transport and transit corridors at international forums and summits. One of the striking examples of this was the discussion at the recent talks in Tehran between the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian on issues of cooperation in the transport sector. In particular, special emphasis was placed on the need to make more effective use of the opportunities available in this area, taking into account the availability of modern infrastructure for transit transport. In this context, the great role of the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran steel highway was noted – a key link in the North-South transport corridor, which is the most economical railway route between Asia and Europe and serves the interests of peace, universal well-being and sustainable development. Based on this, a number of constructive initiatives were put forward at the Turkmen-Iranian summit aimed at both activating this railway and increasing the volume of cargo transportation. At the same time, an initiative was announced to create the Armenia-Iran–Turkmenistan–Kazakhstan transport and transit corridor in order to effectively use this route in the future. The practical implementation of this promising project opens up enormous opportunities for the full functioning of Turkmenistan's transport and transit corridors, contributing to its establishment as a major logistics hub of continental importance. In addition, this step is designed to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in this strategically important area for all parties, and will give a powerful impetus to broad intraregional and international integration.