Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, July 16/ Trend, H. Hasanov /
High traffic was seen in automobile, railway and air transport in Turkmenistan in the first half of 2013, the Turkmen government said today.
According to the report, the dynamics of growth in cargo and passenger transportation are as follows compared to the same six months of 2012: The Ministry of Railway Transport - 125.1 and 102.9 percent, The Ministry of Automobile Transport - 103 and 101.8 percent, State Sea and River Transport Service- 101.5 and 132.5 percent, State National Service- "Turkmenhowayollary " (Turkmen Airlines) - 112.1 percent.
Turkmenistan borders Kazakhstan, Iran, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan on land, while offshore it shares borders with with Azerbaijan, Russia, Kazakhstan and Iran. Regional transportation projects have been recently intensified. In particular, large scale reconstruction at the Turkmenbashi sea port is underway. Highways are being modernized.
A project on linking railways on the Turkmen-Kazakh border was launched in May 2013. In general, the two neighboring countries and Iran are implementing the "North -South" project. The trilateral intergovernmental agreement was signed in 2007. The railway networks of Iran and Turkmenistan are expected to be linked by late 2013.
This regional project will provide European and Asian countries with a way to Central Asia and the Persian Gulf. A similar opportunity will appear for cargo transit from South and South-Eastern Asian countries, the shores of the Indian Ocean to the countries of Northern and Eastern Europe - through Iran, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Russia. Moreover, the construction of another transport highway - the "Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan" was recently launched. The Peoples Republic of China, Kyrgyzstan and Iran can also join it.
Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow noted during the last governmental meeting that one of the defining factors behind successful social-economic development in Turkmenistan is the work of the transport sector.
According to him, high requirements are imposed on this sphere with respect to the quality and reliability of cargo and passenger transportation that is also expected to contribute to fruitful international cooperation and effective use of transcontinental transit-transport routes.
The Turkmenistan president paid attention to the fact that huge amount of investments are being allocated to both international and instate projects.