BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 8. The Asian
Development Bank will prepare a new report on ports, shipping, and
logistics in the Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation
(CAREC) region, ADB’s Senior Transport Specialist (Maritime
Transport and Ports), Adrian Sammons, said, Trend's correspondent reports
from the event.
Sammons made the announcement during the 5th International
Conference and Exhibition, Black and Caspian Freight Forum 2026 in
Baku.
According to him, there is a difference between a project that
is strategically desirable and one that is truly ready for
investment.
“First, demand must be demonstrated. Freight volume forecasts
must be realistic and supported by market data. The infrastructure
must meet actual trade flows, not just projected figures,” he
said.
The expert noted that the project must also address critical
issues in the transport corridor, particularly by eliminating
identified bottlenecks.
“The greatest value often lies in removing constraints such as
inefficient border crossings, capacity constraints on railways,
roads, or ports, weak intermodal connections, or underdeveloped
digital systems,” he said.
According to him, another important component is the
institutional environment: “Investors look for transparent
governance, predictable regulation, efficient customs procedures,
and a clear division of responsibilities among government
agencies.”
He also emphasized the need for projects to be economically
viable and ready for implementation: “This means demonstrating
measurable benefits for trade connectivity, as well as having
environmental permits, project documentation, procurement
mechanisms, and institutional capacity.” The ADB is expanding its
focus on ports, shipping, and multimodal logistics as part of a new
initiative to enhance the climate resilience of ports, logistics,
and shipping connectivity in the CAREC region.
According to him, the ADB will prepare a new report on ports,
shipping, and logistics in the CAREC region.
“The new report will help identify future investments in ports,
the decarbonization of shipping, digitalization, and sustainable
trade corridors in the Caspian, Black Sea, and broader CAREC
regions,” he said.
The expert added that the ADB has long been a partner to Central
Asian countries in providing financing and advisory services for
major transportation, energy, water, and trade projects, including
roads, railways, logistics facilities, improvements to border
crossings, and the development of regional economic corridors under
the CAREC program.
“Funding will follow well-prepared projects, not just good
ideas. A project becomes investment-ready when it solves real
problems, creates measurable benefits, and can be successfully
implemented,” he said.
