BAKU, Azerbaijan, Sept. 13
By Fidan Babayeva – Trend:
Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan began negotiations on the implementation of the Afghanistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey international transit and Lapis Lazuli transport corridor project this week (Sept.7, 2020 – Sept. 11, 2020), Trend reports citing the Turkmen media.
At a trilateral online meeting with the participation of representatives of the transport sector of Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Afghanistan, issues of optimizing the transport and logistics process, creating equal economic and financial conditions for all participants, and introducing a single pricing policy for the transportation of goods along the Afghanistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan route and in the opposite direction, were discussed.
The issue of appointing a single operator from each side and establishing a through tariff rate was also discussed. On the part of Turkmenistan, "Transport and Logistics Center of Turkmenistan" OJS was designated as the responsible operator. The participants agreed on steps to increase cargo traffic along the Lapis Lazuli corridor. The next meeting is scheduled for the end of September.
This week, according to the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads, construction of a multi-level road interchange in the area of Sulutapa settlement was started. The construction will ensure the smooth movement of vehicles by eliminating traffic jams. The overpasses will be 69 and 128 meters long and 9 meters wide. The bridge supports are currently under construction. At the next stage, the construction of overpasses will begin. The project provides for the repair of 2,350 meters of roads, the creation of sidewalks, the construction of retaining walls.
Moreover, the reconstruction of the Basgal-Gychatan-Taglabiyan-Kalfaraj-Zeive-Kurduvan-Khankandi-Muju-Sarsura-Kelezeiva-Sulut highway, which connects 11 settlements with a population of about 4,000 people, has begun in Azerbaijan.
Another important event this week was the dispatch of a freight train with 100 standard containers of exporting goods from Jinhua city in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang to Baku.
On the new route, the train, loaded mainly with hardware and daily goods, will cross the state border through the Khorgos / Xinjiang - Uygur Autonomous Region checkpoint, Northwest China and arrive at the Caspian port of Aktau in Kazakhstan’s Aktau city, from where these goods will be delivered by ferry to the new port of Alat in Baku, and finally - to Baku’s Heybat station.