BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 20. A consultative meeting of the Heads of Railway Administrations on the establishment of the International Association for the "Eurasian Transport Route" has begun in Baku, Trend reports.
The event speaker, Chairman of the Board of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC Rovshan Rustamov said that Azerbaijan has taken the initiative to establish an international association “Eurasian Multimodal Transport Route” to improve coordination of international transportation in the region of Central Asia, Azerbaijan, and Türkiye with the involvement of Austria and China.
According to him, the association will be a collegial body that will supervise the development of the route concept, tariff policy, and digitalization.
“The interest of China and Austria in this route shows that they recognize its attractiveness,” Rustamov also said.
He noted that global market dynamics and the growth of cargo transportation from China require new routes.
“Every year freight transportation grows by five percent in the world, and the global rail transportation market is estimated at $300 billion. Freight traffic is expected to reach 12 trillion ton-kilometers worldwide by 2025 and 28 trillion ton-kilometers in 2050,” the head of railways said.
The meeting also featured speeches by the Head of the Chinese Railway Container Transport Corporation Yang Bin; the First Deputy Chief of the Tajik Railways State Unitary Enterprise Sorbon Kulakhmadov; the Deputy Director General of Kyrgyz Railways Dostan Usubakunov; and the Head of the Eurasia and Central Asia Relations Department at Austrian Federal Railways Eniko Gyorfi.
Bin said that China is interested in increasing the transportation of goods via the Eurasia region and joins the initiative to create the Eurasian Transport Route Association.
According to him, this authority fits into the concept of development of the “One Belt, One Road” project.
“Since the beginning of the year, we have transported 200 container block trains across Eurasia to Europe, and deliveries will continue to grow,” Bin emphasized.
He noted that 40 cities in China are connected to 225 cities in Europe through various transportation routes, among which the Middle Corridor has gained importance.
Bin mentioned that the number of trains on this route and the volume of transportation will be increased.
Uzbekistan Railways JSC Board Chairman Zufar Narzullaev said that the JSC supports the establishment of the "Eurasian Transport Route" International Association, as it will strengthen relations between the railway administrations of the participating countries, the JSC.
"All conditions are being created in Uzbekistan to expand transport and transit potential. Steps are being taken towards the construction and modernization of railways in the country. Additionally, integrated logistics centers are being developed in Uzbekistan, and measures have been taken to improve the regulatory framework in this area," noted Narzullaev.
Kulakhmadov said that the establishment of the “Eurasian Transport Route” association will increase the volume of freight transportation between countries in the global region of Eurasia.
“Experience shows that for effective operation of transportation, it is necessary to develop and improve infrastructure and build optimal transportation routes and communications. The Government of Tajikistan pays great attention to the development of the transport sector, especially the development of transport corridors, railway infrastructure, and turning the country into a transit zone. The Middle Corridor is one of the promising transport corridors,” he added.
Another speaker, Györfi said that Austria reaffirms its commitment to the use of the Middle Corridor as part of the global freight transportation network and will contribute to its development.
She pointed out that Azerbaijan is the major link between Europe and Asia, and its initiative to establish the International Association “Eurasian Transport Route” confirms its important role.
“This meeting in Baku reflects the commitment to international partnership. The Railway Silk Road is not only a route; it is a symbol of connection, cooperation, and common goals of Eurasian countries,” she emphasized.
According to Györfi, the Eurasian seamless railroad is vital to the economies of China, Central Asia, the Caucasus, Türkiye, and Europe.
“It will connect people, businesses, and opportunities in ways that seemed impossible a few decades ago. We live in a unique and challenging time of rapid change in the global landscape, and a rapid response is required,” the official said.
Head of the Board of Directors of Turkish Railways' TCDD Tasimacilik Company Ufuk Yalcin believes that the international association “Eurasian Transport Route” established on Azerbaijan's initiative will expand the geography of cargo transportation.
Yalcin noted that multimodal transportation between China and Europe is growing, and transit countries should promptly respond to these trends.
“Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Georgia launched the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad in 2020, with its capacity increasing from one million to 5 million tons per year from 2024. This is an important route within the Eurasian transport corridor,” Yalcin said.
According to him, this infrastructure will allow seamless transportation of goods between Europe and Asia.
Following the results of the consultative meeting on the establishment of the international association "Eurasian Transport Route", a protocol was signed.
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