Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Feb. 5 / Trend , E.Hasanov /
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Russian Railway Chairman Vladimir Yakunin met today to discuss opening railway-ferry lines across the Caspian Sea.
Moscow and Ashgabat are considering opening routes between the Russian port of Makhachkala and Turkmen port of Turkmenbashi to increase gas flow from Turkmenistan to Russia, Georgia, Ukraine and Belarus. The Russian port of Ola in Astrakhan is also being reviewed.
In late November, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan signed an interstate agreement to open a direct railway-ferry line from Turkmenbashi to Baku.
Berdimuhamedov invited Russia to participate in building the railway section in Gorgan. The section will connect Bereket with Uzen, Kazakhstan by 2011. The throughput capacity will be 10 million tons per year.
Berdimuhamedov said Europe, Russia and Central Asia will thus have quick access to the Persian Gulf .
Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at: [email protected]