Asian Development Bank, Azerbaijan cooperate on developing cross-border infrastructure

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the government of Azerbaijan are currently working on developing cross-border infrastructure aimed at reducing long queues and congestion, Sunniya Durrani-Jamal, ADB Country Director for Azerbaijan, said.

At a media briefing on the April edition of the ADO, Durrani-Jamal emphasised that it is still too early to speak about a global reconfiguration of transport flows, adding that only temporary disruptions are currently being observed, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

She said that the area of cooperation was still under discussion with the government of Azerbaijan.

However, according to her, Azerbaijan’s broader state strategy and investments indicate its ambition to position itself as a logistics and transport hub. It is not only about transporting oil and gas through pipeline investments in the past, but also about developing electricity and, hopefully, digital connectivity.

“I believe this is a very important part of the diversification strategy of the economy. In other words, we will move beyond just the oil sector. As for how we provide support, in the past we have invested significantly in rail and road infrastructure, as well as directly in railway development,” she noted.

She added that the ADB is currently working with the government to improve cooperation efficiency, with a strong focus on digitalisation and railway signalling systems.

“We are investing a lot in digitalisation and railway signalling systems. The ADB hopes to do the same in other sectors. Thus, digitalisation will be a key factor in moving from physical quality to improved operational quality,” Durrani-Jamal stressed.

She concluded that physical infrastructure, digitalisation, and cross-border connectivity are the main areas where the ADB can provide further support.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov