Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, August 6 / Trend H. Hasanov /
High figures were reached in the enterprises of car, railway and air transport of Turkmenistan during the first seven months of 2013, Turkmen govermment reportred.
According to the report, in particular the dynamics of growth in freight and passenger traffic during the first seven months of 2012 amounted to: around 121.5 and 103.5 percent for Ministry of Railway transport, 103,8 and 102.6 percent - Ministry of car transport, 100.4 and 133.3 percent - State Service of Maritime and River Transport, the growh dynamics of rendered services in "Turkmenhowayollary" (Turkmen Airlines) State National Service amounted to 109 and 104.4 percent.
Tukmenistan borders with Kazakhstan, Iran, Russia, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan on land and with Azerbaijan, Russian Federation, Kazakhstan and Iran in Caspian Sea. Regional transport projects have been activated in recent years; large-scale reconstruction of seaport in Turkmenbashi is being prepared, highways are being modernized.
In May 2013 the project for merging the railroads on Kazakh-Turkmen border was launched. This "North-South" project is implemented by two neighboring countries jointly with Iran. A trilateral intergovernmental agreement was signed iin 2007. The merger of Iranian and Turkmen railway networks is expected till the end of the year.
This regional project will give access to European ansd Asian countries to Central Asia and to Persian Gulf. The similar opportunity will be given for transporting cargo from Southern and South-Eastern Asian countries and from the shores of Indian Ocean to the countries of Northern and Eastern Europe through Iran, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Russia. Moreover, the construction of another transport highway - "Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan" - has been launched. China, Kyrgyzstan and Iran may join it.
During the last governmental meeting, Turkmen president, Gurbanguly Berdimuhammadov noted the positive dynamics of growth in production figures in the sphere of transport and stressed that this is the result of conducted stage-by-stage modernization of key sectors of national economy.