Turkmenistan plans to launch East-West transport corridor

Ashgabat expects to launch the East-West transport corridor, which will unite Turkmenistan, Iran, Iraq and Türkiye.

Due to its favourable geographical location, Turkmenistan is turning into one of the main centres of the intersection of transcontinental routes, Turkmenistan Today reports, quoting Turkmenistan’s President Serdar Berdimuhamedov.

"Today, Turkmenistan has an impressive potential for the development of all modes of transport. Targeted measures are also being taken to attract major investments to enhance our country's position as a key transport and transit hub and to create new transport and transit corridors and dedicated infrastructure," he said.

Berdimuhamedov noted that special attention is paid to the systematic improvement of the country's railway infrastructure.

"Turkmenistan, having access to the open sea, is actively integrating into the trans-Caspian transport routes and seeks to realize the maximum potential in this area," the president specified.

The Turkmen leader said that connecting the high-speed road linking the eastern region and the centre of the country to the Ashgabat-Turkmenbashi motorway would provide access for trucks from Uzbekistan to the International Sea Port on the Caspian Sea, and from there to the Caucasus, Europe, southern Russia and northern Iran, to the Persian and Oman Straits via sea lanes.

The head of state noted that constructing the highway and the bridge across Garabogaz on the Turkmenbashi - Kazakhstan route will significantly increase the transport and trade partnership and cargo turnover between the two countries.

"In the future, an East-West transport corridor will be launched to unite Turkmenistan, Iran, Iraq and Türkiye," he added.

According to Berdymukhamedow, all regional countries are focusing on issues of further activation of the international transport corridor Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Oman, the creation of a corridor along the route Afghanistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia.

"Implementation of the five-party Agreement on creating the Afghanistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Türkiye (Lapis Lazuli) international transport corridor will bring the regional transport system to a new level," he added.