Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 16
By Azad Hasanli - Trend:
The member-states of the Trans-Caspian international transport route will be able to earn $1 billion in freight transportation for the first few years, Akif Mustafayev, TRACECA (Europe-Caucasus-Asia) transport cooperation program national secretary on Azerbaijan, told Trend.
The profit of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey as a result of the transportation via this route will increase in the future, he said.
The Trans-Caspian international transport route runs through China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey and then to Europe. The first test container train arrived in the Baku International Sea Trade Port from China via this route in early August.
"The train has arrived from China to Azerbaijan, but it is necessary that this route gets extended through Georgia and Turkey, and then further to Europe," he said. "Work is currently underway in this regard, and the arrival of the first train gives hope that the work will be completed in the near future."
In general, as the national secretary said, all the projects realized recently, including the construction and reconstruction of the railway in Azerbaijan, the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway's section and a new international seaport in Alat, are aimed at high-level cargo transportation from China to Europe.
"The goal is to achieve high-level cargo transportations from China to Europe via TRACECA. This container train was, as they say, the harbinger."
"China has great economic potential. In this country, a lot of different products, which are sold throughout the world, are made."
"Now there is a process of switching to containers in transportation in the world: about 80 percent of the world's cargo is transported in containers, because it is the most efficient form of transportation," he said.
Speaking of Chinese products, one shouldn't imply poor quality goods, according to the national secretary.
"In Europe, low-quality products are not allowed," said Mustafayev. "The products made in China, which are supplied to Europe, are of good quality and inexpensive. This is especially true of computer technology."
TRACECA is an international cooperation program in the field of transport between the EU and partner countries in Eastern Europe, South Caucasus and Central Asia. The organization has a permanent secretariat in Baku.
TRACECA member states are Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Moldova, Romania, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Iran.
Edited by CN