ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, April 26. Turkmenistan is taking active steps to increase the utilization of the Turkmenbashi International Seaport, Trend reports.
According to the official source, the Chairman of the Maritime and River Transport Agency of Turkmenistan (Turkmendenizderyayollary) Batyr Annaev made this remark at the 2nd Meeting of the Transport Coordinating Committee of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), taking place on April 25–26 in Budapest, Hungary.
"Turkmenistan is taking active steps to increase the utilization of the Turkmenbashi port. Various measures to stimulate transit are being considered, including the provision of benefits for port fees and discounts on sea transportation. Regular ferries run between the ports of Turkmenbashi and Baku, and dry cargo ships carry out feeder transportation," he said.
Furthermore, Annaev stressed that the regime of the 'customs warehouse' in the port of Turkmenbashi allows storing goods without paying customs duties for up to three years.
"With a capacity of 17 million tons per year, the port is able to handle the entire range of goods in demand in the region. Regular freights are carried out on the route Turkmenbashi - ports of the Caspian states," he said.
Meanwhile, at the beginning of February this year, it became known that information about the infrastructure of the Turkmenbashi International Seaport would be included in the digital register of transport and logistics centers for the International North-South Transport Corridor.
Of the three main routes identified in the strategy for the development of the international transport corridor, two pass through Turkmenistan.
The Maritime and River Transport Agency of Turkmenistan, founded in 1992, is a state agency in Turkmenistan that owns various state firms. It is under the supervision of Turkmenistan's Ministry of Industry and Communication. It is responsible for managing state property, carrying out transportation security activities, and providing maritime and inland waterway transport services.