Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, May 18 / Trend H. Hasanov /
Turkmen marine transport has been intensively developed, the Strategic Planning and Economic Development Institute said today.
The merchant marine fleet has nine vessels, of which four cargo ships with a total capacity of 13,000 tons and five tankers with a total capacity of 23,600 tons operate.
"As the importance of the route Europe-Caucasus-Central Asia increases, the role of the Turkmenbashi seaport significantly increases," the message said.
Turkmenistan has recently emphasized integration in maritime transportation and intensification of external economic ties with Caspian littoral countries. A radical modernization of the Turkmenbashi international sea port city is planned.
The Caspian Sea borders the coast of Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran and Turkmenistan.
Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov emphasized the need to accelerate the work on reconstruction and modernization of the Turkmenbashi sea port city in April 2012.
"This will increase freight flow of domestic goods via new international routes," the Turkmen leader said at the workshop.
The President also instructed to prepare the proposals on technical re-equipping of the national merchant fleet and submit them to the government.
It was earlier reported that the Central Bank is considering allocating the loan due to free funds in foreign currency to implement projects that meet the approved master plan to 2020 to develop the port and the fleet.
According to experts, a full-scale reconstruction of the Turkmenbashi sea port will require the investments worth several billion U.S. dollars.
The priorities are the construction of new offshore terminals with multi-purpose berths, capable of receiving ships of any type and capacity and storehouses for processing and storage of transit goods to enable export-import operations, equipped with powerful loading and unloading facilities.
The volume of cargo processed at the berths of the Caspian harbour is being increased in Turkmen foreign economic ties. The industrial and agricultural equipment, cargo, automotive equipment, metal products, wood products, mineral fertilizers are delivered through this country.
Polypropylene, coke and other petroleum products, chemicals and construction materials are sent abroad.