BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 10. Swiss international transportation and logistics company AsstrA-Associated Traffic AG plans to open offices in Aktau and Astana, AsstrA's director in Kazakhstan Ramilya Akhmetova told Trend.
According to Akhmetova, the company is also actively developing a partner network to provide storage areas.
"Since AsstrA is an international company, we think on an interstate scale, realizing that for efficient, uninterrupted logistics, experts and representatives of different regions must work together. Therefore, the development strategy also includes strengthening our presence in the regional markets of the Caucasus and the development of offices in Baku and Tbilisi," she said.
Chairman of the Board of Kazatomprom JSC (national uranium company) Meirzhan Yussupov at a meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted that Kazakhstan has increased uranium transportation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor).
"At the same time, 64 percent of all uranium shipments from Kazakhstan to Western countries went to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route in 2023," he stressed.
Kazakhstan's Ambassador to Greece Yerlan Baudarbek-Kozhatayev held a meeting with the Mayor of the Greek city of Piraeus, Yannis Moralis, during which the parties reached an agreement to establish cooperation between the cities of Aktau and Piraeus (the largest port in Greece, which has a feeder connection to the Mediterranean, Black Sea, and Adriatic Seas, as well as rail and road links with the countries of the Balkans and Central Europe).
Ambassador Baudarbek-Kozhatayev noted the potential of the interfacing logistical opportunities of Kazakhstan and Greece for the development of the Trans-Caspian international transportation route through the seaports of Aktau and Kuryk. The ambassador, in coordination with Akim of the Mangistau region Nurlan Nogaev invited the delegation of Piraeus to Aktau soon.
Deputy Chairman of the Committee of Railway and Water Transport of Kazakhstan Kasym Tlepov during the meeting with the Azerbaijani delegation that Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan agreed to actualize the synchronous elimination of "bottlenecks" of the Trans-Caspian international transport route.
He also shared information on railway projects, raising the status of the TITR association, digitalizing TITR, creating a single logistics operator, and increasing port capacity.
According to the government of Kazakhstan, the country plans to increase oil supplies along the Trans-Caspian International Transportation Route.
Deliveries will be more than doubled to 3 million tons within 2 years.
Azerbaijan and China discussed the use of environmentally friendly transportation in Azerbaijan within the framework of a visit to China by a delegation led by First Deputy Minister of Economy Elnur Aliyev. The Azerbaijani delegation met with the management of enterprises producing cars in China and familiarized with the production activity of the plants. The meetings provided information about Azerbaijan's favorable business environment and the opportunities created for investors.
Visa holds a leading position in the world in the development of payment solutions for transportation, Vice President and Regional Manager of Visa in Central Asia and Azerbaijan Cristina Doros told Trend.
"Residents of many cities around the world have already appreciated the convenience, speed, and security of cashless payment in transportation based on Visa technologies. We are certainly applying this knowledge, experience, and technology in Central Asia and in other regions where we are present. For example, every metro station in Tashkent is equipped with validators to accept cards. We have also launched contactless payment on public transportation in Bishkek. Residents of Azerbaijan have the opportunity to pay by contactless card when traveling on the Baku-Sumgayit ring and back," Doros said.
Mastercard and Last Mile Solutions announced a new partnership aimed at creating new payment standards for the electric vehicle (EV) charging industry that will improve the payment experience of users at charging stations.
Azerbaijan is actively introducing educational programs for training specialists in transport, logistics, and forwarding spheres, and this is very relevant given the accelerated development of the country as a major international transport hub, Kamran Habibov head of the Association of Transport and Forwarding Companies of Azerbaijan told Trend.
During a panel on logistics at the Drilling Caspian conference in Baku on February 9, SOCAR Presidential Advisor Elchin Agakishiyev commented on the impact the establishment of the Zangazur corridor could have on operations in the region.
"With the opening of the corridor, we will be able to compete with Georgia for international transportation on a regional scale and increase the volume of common operations in this area. The opening of the corridor should be beneficial for Armenia as well, i.e., it will bring peace to the region. Thus, the connection with neighboring states is important for the entire South Caucasus. We will be able to achieve stability in the region. It is also important in terms of economic growth and the creation of new jobs," he said.
Azerbaijan Railways CJSC (AŽD) noted in its report that it plans to allocate 50 million manat ($29.4 million) for the implementation of 20 projects in 2024. The projects include the repair of the Alat railway station, the expansion of the Yalama station, the completion of the reconstruction of the Balajar marshaling yard, and the repair of railway tracks with a total length of 50 kilometers.
ASCO invested $35 million ($20.5 million) in its projects in 2023, and they went, in particular, to replace rails on 16 kilometers of tracks, overhaul 22 kilometers of tracks, connect Zira port with the railroad network, and construct a railroad terminal in Astara.
Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company CJSC (ASCO) reported on the completion of the overhaul of the crane vessel Shirvan-3 belonging to ASCO's Caspian Offshore Oil Fleet. The repair was carried out at Bibi-Heybat Shipyard (also on ASCO's balance sheet). The crane load capacity on this vessel is 100 tons.
The CJSC also informed about the completion of the overhaul of tanker Kahraman Khalilbeyli, belonging to the ASCO Marine Transport Fleet, at Zikh Shipyard. The tanker, which completed a test voyage, has been returned to service. The first visit to the vessel will take place in the port of Turkmenbashi.
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