Azernews.Az

By Aynur Karimova

Iran and Turkmenistan have discussed implementing a number of joint projects in the transport sector.

The discussions were held between Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and Iranian Road and Urban Development Minister Abbas Ahmad Akhoundi, the government of Turkmenistan reported.

Both sides paid special attention to the construction of the Sarakhs bridge and Sarakhs-Tejan road, which are expected to expand cooperation between the seaports in the two countries.

The two sides also discussed increasing the transit potential of the Iran-Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan railway, the construction of a transit corridor to India through the south of Iran, and the inclusion of the China-India and Turkmenistan-Iran sections on this route, among other issues.

The officials from both sides expressed confidence that the North-South transport corridor would create great opportunities for the optimization of traffic flows, not only between neighboring countries but also within the entire Eurasian territory, and would serve to intensify trade and economic relations in the region and worldwide.

During the meeting, President Berdymukhamedov and Minister Akhoundi also discussed opportunities to strengthen mutually beneficial ties in road construction and the development of urban infrastructure.

In December 2014, a ceremony to launch the new Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway took place. This corridor has opened access to Central Asia and the Persian Gulf to the countries in Europe and Asia.

Iran is keen on expanding mutual cooperation with Central Asian countries in the field of rail transport.

The Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway was commissioned by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, his Turkmen counterpart Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on December 3.

As part of the North-South international transport corridor, the railway was constructed with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank. It is 925 kilometers long, with 85 kilometers in Iran's territory, 700 kilometers in Turkmenistan, and the remaining 140 kilometers in Kazakhstan.

Preliminary estimates show that annually, 3-5 million metric tons of cargo will be transported via this route. In the long term, this figure will increase to 10-12 million metric tons.

This railway joins the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea through Iran and then continues to St. Petersburg and northern Europe via Russia.

Experts lauded the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway as a success, calling it beneficial for the three countries in terms of developing ties and increasing trade between them.

Another important railway project, the Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Turkmenistan railway, which is expected to stretch to Iran, will connect the Central Asian nations to Iranian seaports through Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.

The 400-kilometer-long railway line, construction of which began in early June, 2013, enjoys significant importance in terms of the strategic, political, and economic interests of all participating countries.

The project targets expanding regional infrastructure, connecting landlocked countries with seaways, and eventually linking the Eurasian and Southeast Asian markets.

This route will open a new corridor between Central Asia and the world markets through seaports on the coast of the Indian Ocean. It will halve the distance to the Baltic sea coast via Russia as well.

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Aynur Karimova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova

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