BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 27. Azerbaijan and
China have reached a landmark agreement to significantly expand
cooperation in international road freight transport, including a
major increase in permit quotas, the Azerbaijan Land Transport
Agency (AYNA) told Trend.
The first-ever meeting on international road transport between
the AYNA and the Transport Services Department of the Ministry of
Transport of the People’s Republic of China was held in Urumqi on
April 23-24. Representatives of Azerbaijani carriers and the
Azerbaijan International Road Carriers Association also took part
in the discussions.
During the meeting, the parties reviewed the current state and
prospects of international road freight transportation between the
two countries and exchanged views on expanding cooperation.
A key agreement was reached to exchange additional permit forms
for international freight transport. For 2026, an extra 5,000
permits were allocated for bilateral and transit transportation,
and 2,500 permits for transportation to and from third countries.
As a result, the total quota of exchanged permits for international
freight transport this year has increased by 5 times, with both
sides expressing confidence that carrier demand will be fully met
this year and next.
The parties also agreed to digitalize the issuance and exchange
of permit forms. A joint technical working group will be
established to implement the digitalization project, with work set
to begin on May 1. This initiative is expected to reduce
operational challenges and make transport processes more
transparent and efficient.
In addition, a mechanism was agreed upon to ensure operational
interaction between relevant authorities for the prompt resolution
of issues arising during international freight transportation.
As part of the visit, the Azerbaijani delegation met with
officials of the Khorgos border checkpoint on April 25 and got
acquainted with the activities of logistics centers operating in
the Khorgos Free Trade Zone.
Officials noted that the Khorgos checkpoint currently operates 8
lanes (including 4 entry and 4 exit lanes) and facilitates the
daily passage of up to 1,200 freight vehicles. Taking into account
the growing cargo flow, plans are in place to increase the number
of lanes to 20 within the next two years.
The sides also discussed opportunities to strengthen cooperation
between national carriers and logistics centers, agreeing to
initiate steps to build direct links.
Additionally, a symposium was held in Khorgos with the
participation of relevant Chinese authorities, international road
transport associations, and Azerbaijani and Chinese carriers, where
participants discussed challenges faced during international
freight transport, possible solutions, and ways to establish direct
connections between carriers.
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