BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug.21
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
In April 2019, the leading companies operating in the city of Venlo in the Dutch province of Limburg, which is one of the largest logistics and transport hubs in Europe, started cooperation with "Baku International Sea Trade Port" CJSC of Azerbaijan.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the government of the state of Limburg, which includes the city of Venlo and leading companies with the Port of Baku. The Memo envisages cooperation with the government of the province of Limburg, companies Cabooter Group, SMART Logistics Centre, the Limburg Development & Investment Company, Greenport Venlo, KLG Europe, the Council for the Development of Northern Limburg, companies of business network Azerbaijan-Netherlands and the University of Fontys.
On 14 June 2019 in Baku, the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities together with the Director of the Port of Baku launched the project Promoting Green Ports and Connectivity in the Caspian Sea Region. The project aims to support Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan in strengthening green ports and connectivity in the Caspian Sea Region. Feasibility studies, expert workshops and delegation visits to leading international green ports will explore how to make best use of renewable energy, digitalization and trade and transport facilitation to promote sustainable connectivity. The project will be implemented in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, UNECE and leading private sector experts.
In October 2019 Baku Port and Port of Aktau, as well as Baku Port and Kuryk Port signed a memorandum of understanding on single online sale of tickets, as well as rules of exchanging data on cargo and vessels. The document is aimed at speeding up the movement of cargo and vehicles through these ports, reducing the number of required documents and ensuring mutual technical collaboration.
On November 25th, the Port of Baku, Austrian ÖBB Rail Cargo Group and Cabooter Group (NL) signed an agreement to strengthen and expand the freight traffic from Europe to Central Asia and China via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (Middle Corridor).
On February 21, 2020, during the Azerbaijan-Italy business forum held in Rome, Baku Port signed a memorandum of understanding with ports of Trieste and Genoa. The ports are supposed to benefit from trade turnover between China and Europe and to exchange experience on operation, advanced technologies and innovations.
In March 2020 the working group created for the project Promoting Green Ports and Connectivity in the Caspian Sea Region held its meeting, during which it was noted that there is a need to transport 1.5 million containers per year on East-West route, while the number of containers transported between Europe and China stands at 600,000.
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