Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan ink preliminary agreements

Ashgabat, The Gulf Observer: In early October, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan hosted a meeting of representatives of Kazakhstan with Turkmen business people and representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Turkmenistan. The visit resulted in the signing of preliminary agreements worth $3 million.

As inbusiness.kz reports, the mission comprised representatives of 30 companies from different sectors of the economy.

The mission aims to strengthen trade and economic ties between the two countries and expand cooperation in transit, logistics, chemistry and agriculture.

The Astana Diplomatic Club organised the business mission with the support of the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Kazakhstan.

The main topic of the talks was the use of the transport potential of Turkmenistan, which is an integral part of international transport corridors connecting Europe and Asia.

The Kazakh side showed interest in exporting its goods through the territory of Turkmenistan, using both railway and sea transport.

In particular, the possibility of increasing the volume of freight traffic along the railway route Kazakhstan – Turkmenistan – Iran, the shortest route between East Asia and the Gulf countries, was discussed. Last year, the first container train from Kazakhstan to Turkey was launched along this route. The new logistical solution makes it possible to cover over 6,000 kilometres in 12 days.

The Kazakh delegation expressed interest in using the Turkmenbashi International Sea Port, the largest port in the Caspian Sea and equipped with modern facilities for servicing different types of vessels. The Turkmen side expressed their readiness to facilitate the transit of Kazakh cargo through their territory and offered various advantages and preferences to Kazakh carriers.

The Kazakh delegation also had the opportunity to observe the operations of the Turkmenbashi International Sea Port and visited other transportation facilities in Turkmenistan.

Overall, both sides are exploring potential cooperation in the transport sector, specifically focusing on utilising the Turkmenbashi International Sea Port for Kazakh cargo transit.