Azernews.Az

By Amina Nazarli

The traffic volume via the Trans-Caspian international transport route will be increased to 5.5 million metric tons of cargo per year, the Kazakhstan Temir Zholy National Company reported.

The decision was taken during the working group meeting of the Coordination Committee of the Trans-Caspian international transport route.

The event was held under the chairmanship of Askar Mamin, the President of the “Kazakhstan Temir Zholy” Company on January 19.

The heads of Kazakhstan “Temir Zholy National Company”, Turkish State Railways, Azerbaijan Railways, Georgian Railways, Aktau International Sea Trade Port, Baku International Sea Trade Port, Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company, Batumi Sea Port attended the meeting.

"The issues relating to the competitive rates of transportation of goods and the formation of a complex rate on the container trains on the Trans-Caspian international transport route were also discussed during the meeting,” the national company reported.

“Despite the slowdown in economic activities in the region, the participants worked out a number of joint actions to increase the traffic level through the Trans-Caspian international transport route to 5.5 million metric tons per year," it noted.

Moreover, the sides agreed to take measures on container service offered by the China-Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey by using the Zhezkazgan-Beineu new railway line, Aktau seaport, as well as the Akhalkalaki-Kars railway line which is under construction by creating the appropriate tariff conditions this year.

"During the meeting, Mamin was re-elected as the Chairman of the Coordination Committee of the Trans-Caspian international transport route for 2015," a statement said.

The next meeting of the Coordination Committee is set to be held in Istanbul on March 5-7, 2015.