BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 12. The Czech
business eyes new opportunities along the Middle Corridor, Minister
of Transport of the Czech Republic Ivan Bednárik said in an
exclusive interview with Trend ahead of his visit to the South Caucasus and
Central Asia.
He pointed out that the South Caucasus and Central Asia are
becoming increasingly important in connecting Europe and Asia, and
the Czech Republic can offer expertise and technologies in rail
transport, logistics, urban mobility and civil aviation.
"My visit, accompanied by a business delegation, has a clear
objective: to strengthen cooperation in transport and logistics and
create new business opportunities for Czech companies and their
potential partners in Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. In all
three countries, our programme therefore includes a series of
ministerial meetings, business forums and meetings with
representatives of state institutions and companies. Azerbaijan is
a rapidly developing country with a stable political and economic
environment. The opportunity to invest in such a country is welcome
news for any investor," added the minister.
Bednárik pointed out that in Azerbaijan, he wants to build on
the memorandum that Minister Rashad Nabiyev and he signed in May
this year and identify concrete steps for cooperation.
"Our priorities are the development of the Trans-Caspian
Transport Corridor, the modernisation of railways and urban
transport, particularly the metro, the development of air
connectivity and the implementation of modern transport
technologies," the minister said.
Czech perspective on Middle Corridor
development
The Czech minister noted that the Middle Corridor strengthens
the resilience of supply chains between Europe and Asia.
"Azerbaijan is an important regional partner for the Czech
Republic. Transport is one of the key areas of our cooperation,
particularly in the context of the growing importance of the
Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, one of the main
freight routes between Europe and Asia. From the Czech perspective,
this corridor is important because it broadens our connections with
the region and strengthens the resilience of supply chains between
Europe and Asia. We therefore want to strengthen logistics links in
this area and open up new opportunities for Czech companies. In
addition to rail transport and urban mobility, we are also
interested in opportunities for cooperation in aviation and modern
transport technologies," Bednárik added.
The minister noted that all the challenges related to the Middle
Corridor in logistics, customs procedures and coordination, are
interconnected and need to be addressed comprehensively.
"However, I consider eliminating bottlenecks, speeding up
procedures and ensuring sufficient capacity at container and
multimodal terminals to be essential. We also need to improve
existing transport infrastructure, rather than relying on a single
mode of transport, and provide alternative routes for moving goods.
Tools to facilitate cross-border procedures and sufficient capacity
at multimodal terminals are equally important. Logistics and
freight transport will therefore be among the subjects of my
discussions with Azerbaijani institutions, the EU Delegation in
Baku and representatives of the transport sector," he
explained.
Bednárik noted that although the importance of the Trans-Caspian
Transport Corridor is growing rapidly, its further development
requires investment in infrastructure, the modernisation of
logistics and customs processes, and closer cooperation among the
countries along the entire route.
"This also applies to the countries of the European Union. That
is why, this spring, I initiated a European discussion on
strengthening the competitiveness of rail freight and improving the
coordination of international transport corridors. I am also
working to address bottlenecks during the Czech presidency of the
International Transport Forum (ITF) at the OECD. Creating a unified
digital and logistics space with interoperable transport systems
along European transport corridors will certainly be a lengthy
process. It is important for the Czech Republic and Azerbaijan to
cooperate and coordinate more closely in this area. This is
something I want to emphasise through the agenda of my mission and
cooperation involving Czech companies and researchers," he
said.
Transport cooperation beyond Middle
Corridor
Bednárik pointed out that he also sees considerable potential in
urban and regional rail transport.
"Czech companies have expertise in railway electrification,
rolling stock, traffic management and modern technological
solutions for aviation and rail transport. They also offer
comprehensive solutions for urban mobility and air connectivity. We
also see promising opportunities in zero-emission technologies,
including hydrogen-powered transport, and in sustainable urban
mobility through modern trainsets, metro trains and electric buses.
This trend is developing rapidly in Europe. For example, the Czech
company Škoda Group is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of
battery-powered trains and supplies many European countries. There
are also successful Czech companies offering technologies for urban
and suburban bus transport. A key topic for us is the modernisation
of the Baku metro, where Škoda Group can offer its expertise. We
also see opportunities in regional electric multiple units and the
associated technical facilities," said the Czech minister.
He believes that civil aviation is another promising area.
"We want to discuss opportunities to develop direct air links
between Baku and Prague, as well as cooperation in airport
infrastructure, training and technologies for safe air traffic
management. ERA, for example, could build on its existing
activities in Azerbaijan," noted Bednárik.
The minister went on to add that the Czech side sees
considerable potential for closer cooperation with Azerbaijan in
rail freight and logistics.
"The CEO of ČD Cargo, the largest Czech rail freight operator,
will be joining me in Baku. The company provides its services not
only in the Czech Republic, but also in Slovakia, Hungary, Poland,
Austria and Germany. We would also welcome discussions with our
Azerbaijani partners on the possibility of establishing a joint
logistics operator offering competitive door-to-door rates,
coordinated multimodal services and simplified transit procedures,"
he added.
Moreover, Bednárik pointed out that Czech rail operators,
including ČD Cargo and EGT Express, as well as relevant industry
and logistics associations, have extensive experience in
international freight transport and could contribute to the
development of integrated logistics services.
"We also see prospects for new partnerships in air connectivity
and urban mobility, which OMNIPOL Group and Škoda Group will
present. The planned Czech-Azerbaijani business forum, to be held
in Baku on 12 October, will provide a good opportunity to establish
concrete business contacts," he concluded.
