ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, October 9. Turkmenistan attaches special importance to the cooperation of the CIS countries in the North-South transport corridor project, the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov said during his speech at the meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State in Moscow, Trend reports.
“Turkmenistan attaches special importance to the cooperation of the CIS countries in the project of the North-South transport corridor along the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea with further access to Iran and further to the seaports of the Indian Ocean. In this regard, we propose to start a substantive discussion and agreement on common tariffs, customs, visas, and other preferences for the participating countries of the project,” the head of state said.
In his remarks, Berdimuhamedov stressed the importance of transport infrastructure development as one of the key priorities within the CIS economic cooperation strategy until 2030. According to him, the successful implementation of the North-South project will open new prospects for the region, contributing to strengthening transport connectivity and economic ties between the countries.
He also proposed to accelerate the work on the creation of similar transportation corridors through Central Asia and the Caspian region within the framework of the east-west direction.
“I propose to consider in concrete terms the modalities of this work, with an indication of timeframes and agendas, as well as to give instructions to the relevant agencies of our countries,” the President emphasized.
In conclusion, the President noted that participation of the CIS countries in large-scale international and regional projects will create conditions for entering new markets and strengthening economic integration, which in the long term will be a guarantee of sustainable development of the region.
Turkmenistan is actively involved in the development of North-South and West-East transport corridors.
Turkmenistan, together with Russia, Kazakhstan, and Iran, signed a roadmap in July 2024 to promote the eastern branch of the North-South corridor. The initiative aims to increase the capacity of the corridor to 15 million tons per year by 2027 and 20 million tons by 2030. The corridor is designed to provide efficient multimodal transport routes linking the Indian Ocean with the Caspian and Baltic Seas, significantly reducing transit costs and time compared to traditional routes.
To note, a meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State was held in Moscow on October 8, 2024, under the chairmanship of President Vladimir Putin. Following the meeting, a program of cooperation in the field of deradicalization for 2025-2027, developed on the initiative of Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, was adopted. The heads of state also signed a statement on cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence, emphasizing the importance of state control over its implementation and the formation of an international system of AI regulation under the auspices of the United Nations to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.