BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 26. The EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union) acts as a strategic link connecting the entire Eurasian region, and the member states have every opportunity to consolidate this status, the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said during a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, Trend reports.
"First and foremost, the focus is on the development of the North-South corridor with access to the countries of the Middle East, Iran, Pakistan, and India. In this regard, it is gratifying to note that the Kazakh initiative to launch the Chelyabinsk – Bolasak – Iran route is finding practical implementation," he emphasized. "In our part, we are prepared to upgrade the bottlenecks in our railway and road networks. This pertains to the Beineu – Mangystau, Makat – Kandagash railways, and the Beineu – Shalkar road section."
According to Tokayev, a joint venture of logistics companies from Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan is being established for the further development of the corridor.
"I propose that the railway administrations of other EAEU countries join this effort. Kazakhstan actively strengthens the transport and logistics framework and connectivity of the EAEU. We are completing the construction of Kazakh terminals in the Chinese city of Xi'an and the Georgian port of Poti," the president noted. "We plan to launch five transboundary transport and logistics hubs on the borders with Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and the Caspian Sea. In the near future, we aim to build 1,300 kilometers of new railway tracks, dry ports in Bakhty and Kalzhat, as well as a maritime port in the Iranian Bandar Abbas."
"We invite EAEU countries to collaborate on mutually beneficial projects, including a network of major strategic ports, logistics centers, and postal hubs," Tokayev added.
The International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a 7,200-km-long multi-mode network of ship, rail, and road routes for moving freight between India, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia, and Europe. The route primarily involves moving freight from India, Iran, Azerbaijan, and the Russian Federation via ship, rail, and road. The objective of the corridor is to increase trade connectivity between major cities such as Mumbai, Moscow, Tehran, Baku, Bandar Abbas, Astrakhan, Anzali, etc.
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