BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 2. In late January 2023, it was announced that Kyrgyzstan is developing a new transport corridor that will enable the supply of goods to Russia bypassing Kazakhstan, Trend reports.
As Governor of Russia’s Astrakhan region Igor Babushkin said while speaking on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) held on June 14-17, Astrakhan shipping companies are ready to participate in the establishment of a shipping line in the Caspian Sea between Astrakhan and the Turkmen port of Turkmenbashi.
Reportedly, shipments from Kyrgyzstan would first be delivered to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and then transported through the Caspian Sea from the port of Turkmenbashi to the Russian port of Astrakhan.
"We have worked with our shipping companies on the opening of a shipping line [between the Astrakhan port of Olya and the port of Turkmenbashi], and they are ready to participate. In addition, our shipbuilders are ready to construct vessels for operations on Caspian shipping lines; we have sufficient experience and competence. This will contribute to the growth of cargo traffic along the North-South international transport corridor and reduce transportation costs for cargo owners across the Caspian Sea," said Babushkin.
In 2022, the government of Turkmenistan and the administration of the Astrakhan region agreed to build a logistics center in Olya, a major trading port in the Caspian basin, located 100 km south of Astrakhan.
Meanwhile, as Minister of Economy and Commerce of Kyrgyzstan, Daniyar Amangeldiyev, noted, Kyrgyzstan will supply re-export goods from China through the new transport corridor, as local entrepreneurs face difficulties with transit through Kazakhstan.