BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 1. Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company (ASCO) informed Trend last week about its activities, specifically the repair of the Ro-Pax type ferry "Azerbaijan," capable of transporting 100 passengers, 56 tanker wagons, or 50 trucks per voyage, actively operating in the Caspian Sea.
At the same time, ASCO saw the need to expand its fleet of
Volga-Don Max tankers, which can go from the Volga-Don channel to
the open sea and operate with maximum loads outside the Caspian
region.
According to the corporation, Baku Shipyard should prioritize the
construction of such new-generation tankers.
So far, our fleet includes three tankers of this type: Lachin
(since 2019), Kalbajar (since 2021), and Akademik Khoshbakht
Yusifzade (since 2022).
Furthermore, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin revealed last
week at a strategy conference on the development of the United
Shipbuilding Corporation that the Russian government intends to
build over 1,700 river and sea boats by 2037.
The process of privatizing Makhachkala Sea Trade Port JSC (MSTP, Dagestan) has started based on the Decree of the President of Russia on the development of the North-South project signed on March 19.
The President of Russia has issued an order creating a joint-stock company (JSC) named "North-South" with a starting capital of 5.6 billion rubles ($60.8 million), and the first step in its operation is the transfer of the same order to the remaining 100 percent of JSC "North-South" shares of MSTP, which are valued at 1.25 billion rubles ($13 million) on the market.
Azerbaijan is involved in the North-South International Transport Corridor (ITC) project and is also developing another aspect of cooperation with Russia.
Thus, last week, an assembly shop of the famous Russian enterprise AvtoVAZ JSC was opened in Azerbaijan. The company shared its plans to produce 1,500 Lada cars of different models at its production site in Azerbaijan in 2024, while production of different AvtoVAZ cars in Azerbaijan is expected to reach 4,000–5,000 units per year in the coming years.
In addition to developing the automotive industry, Azerbaijan is also adapting to new global trends, such as the importation of electric buses as part of the "Baku Mobility Program".
Last week, another electric bus imported from China entered service on route No. 5 in Baku, and in 2024, up to 100 electric buses will be deployed on various routes in Baku. The electric buses are procured from Chinese manufacturers, particularly BYD Company Limited and Zhongtong Bus Holding Co. Ltd.
Moreover, last week, an informed source in the transport industry exclusively said that a fertilizer terminal with an annual throughput capacity of 2.5 million tons has started operating at Baku International Sea Trade Port (BISTP).
Near this new terminal are warehouses capable of storing 60,000 tons of different types of fertilizer.
This complex has become the first public-private partnership project in BISTP, with the involvement of foreign capital.
BISTP is a crucial segment of the Middle Corridor development, which was discussed last week by high-ranking representatives of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmet Hajiyev stated in an interview with the Global Times that the country considers the Chinese-Azerbaijani partnership significant within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, especially in the context of the Middle Corridor, which could serve as a vital link between China and the EU.
According to him, Azerbaijan and countries along the Caspian and Black Seas could be strong partners in transportation connections with China.
Deputy Minister of Transport of Kazakhstan, Satzhan Ablaliev said that achieving or even exceeding the target of four million tons in cargo transportation through the Middle Corridor in 2024 is entirely feasible.
He expressed confidence, citing an agreement with China to transport 10 container trains with 20-foot containers per month through the Middle Corridor. This, according to him, will increase transit cargo through the Middle Corridor to 4.2 million tons this year, compared to 2.76 million tons in 2023.
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced at the plenary session of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) held in the Chinese Hainan province this week that freight volume between Kazakhstan and China increased by 22 percent in 2023 to nearly 30 million tons, with prospects for further growth, particularly through the transit of Chinese goods via the Middle Corridor.
Tokayev also mentioned that in the coming years, up to 10 million tons of goods could be transported annually along this route.
He emphasized Kazakhstan's readiness to cooperate with its neighbors in developing the North-South corridor, stating that expanding transit and transport cooperation between Asian countries holds strategic importance.
A crucial point along the North-South route is Astara (on the border of Azerbaijan and Iran), and the North Railway Administration of Iran reported that transit of goods through the Astara railway terminal in Gilan province increased by 36 percent in the Iranian year of 1401 (March 21, 2023 - March 19, 2024) compared to the previous year (March 21, 2022 - March 20, 2023), reaching 298,787 tons.
Last week, the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, or Middle Corridor) Association reported on the successful operation of the feeder service Port of Poti/Batumi-Port of Samsun-Port of Karasu to provide container transportation services to and from Türkiye through the TMTM. This feeder line in the Black Sea has been operational since the second half of 2023 due to the temporary closure of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway line for BTK modernization and increasing cargo transportation volume to five million tons per year. The modernized BTK is expected to be launched in late April 2024 to increase transit cargo through the Middle Corridor by three to four times.
AZAL, Azerbaijan's national airline, said this week that it will transition to a summer seasonal schedule beginning March 31 and lasting until October 26. The airline's summer schedule included more than 50 cities throughout the world, offering travelers a diverse range of destinations.