BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 3. Kazakhstan’s
Minister of Transport Nurlan Sauranbayev met in Astana with
Azerbaijani Ambassador Alimirzamin Askerov and AZCON Holding
representative Shahin Babayev to discuss bilateral transport and
transit cooperation, the ministry announced.
The parties addressed the development of the Trans-Caspian
International Transport Route (TITR or Middle Corridor), and the
Caspian Bridge project.
Under the Caspian Bridge project, ferries will serve as an
extension of the railway, allowing railcars to be transported
across the Caspian Sea without being unloaded and their cargo
transshipped. The project aims to ensure the transportation of 8
million tonnes of cargo annually, with the potential to increase
this volume to 10-12 million tonnes.
During the Azerbaijani delegation's visit, Samruk-Kazyna JSC and
AZCON Holding signed a cooperation agreement on the preparation and
implementation of the Caspian Bridge project.
Separately, Kazakhstan's national railway company Kazakhstan
Temir Zholy (KTZ) and Azerbaijan Railways CJSC signed a term sheet
setting out the main terms for establishing a joint intermodal
cargo terminal at the Port of Alat.
The discussions also covered the establishment of a joint
terminal network, industrial cooperation in locomotive and
shipbuilding, tariff policy, and measures to reduce cargo delivery
times to Europe.
Following the meeting, the parties noted that relations between
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are based on a strong foundation of
mutual trust and emphasized their shared goal of making transport
routes across the Caspian Sea more reliable and efficient.
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route is a transport
and trade corridor connecting China and Europe via Central Asian
countries, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye.
