President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov took part in the international forum on transport and logistics “Great silk road – to new frontiers of development”, which has opened today in the city of Turkmenbashi.
It is reported by the State news Agency TDH. The forum brought together representatives of foreign States and international organizations, large companies specializing in the field of transport and logistics.
– Turkmenistan is ready for substantive talks on all aspects of cooperation and the use of the port of Turkmenbashi by landlocked countries in the region, – President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said at the forum.
The construction of the international seaport in Turkmenbashi, which was launched in August 2013 and completed to date, has become an important component of the development of the Navy of Turkmenistan.
The new port covers an area of about 152 hectares and includes ferry, passenger and cargo terminals. The total length of berths, which can simultaneously serve 17 ships, is more than 1800 meters. The port will be able to serve 300 thousand passengers and 75 thousand trucks, handle 400 thousand containers a year. The total capacity of the new port is 17 million tons of cargo excluding oil products.
The shipbuilding and ship repair plant “Balkan” was built in the structure of the port. The company, which has the capacity to process 12,000 tons of steel per year, is designed to build 4 ships and repair 20 ships.
According to the President of Turkmenistan, the new seaport is designed to become an important link in the formation of a modern system of Maritime transport, creating the most favorable conditions for access to the Black sea, Europe, the Middle East, South Asia and the Asia-Pacific region, allowing significantly reduce the distance and travel time of large-scale cargo flows.
– With the optimization of transport flows in the Eurasian space, interregional and intercontinental relations are gaining a new strategic perspective, – the President said.
– Of course, the decision to build the port was dictated primarily by domestic needs. The West of Turkmenistan, the Caspian coast is one of the most dynamically developing regions of our country, – Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said. – A powerful industrial, energy, transport and communications infrastructure is being created there, and the Foundation of the modern gas chemical industry is being laid. And modern port infrastructure will give a powerful impetus to the national economy, attracting investment in its various segments.
“At the same time, the importance of the seaport in Turkmenbashi objectively goes far beyond the national framework,” – the President emphasized.
– Taking the decision on construction, we proceeded from the fact that it will be focused on stimulating international cooperation in the transport and logistics sector, including new spaces and areas in its configuration, – the head of the state said.
“With the commissioning of the new port, additional prospects for cooperation with international and regional structures are opened,” – Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted.
“Turkmenistan is ready to discuss its various aspects and directions with partners from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Economic Cooperation Organization,” – the President said, inviting these structures to work closely.
