Tariffs for Trans-Caspian transport route to be agreed soon
The heads of Azerbaijani, Georgian and Kazakh railway agencies gathered in Baku on April 1 to discuss mutual issues on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route.
As part of the meeting of the Union of Legal Entities of the “Trans-Caspian International Transport Route” Association, a protocol signing ceremony was held.
The protocol was signed by Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways Javid Gurbanov, Chairman of Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping CJSC Rauf Valiyev, President of Kazakhstan Railways Kanat Alpysbayev and Chairman of Georgian Railways Mamuka Bakhtadze.
The protocol was also signed by Head of the Baku International Sea Trade Port Taleh Ziyadov, Head of the Aktau International Sea Trade Port Abay Turikpenbayev and Head of the Batumi Sea Port Murat Jumadillayev.
The parties approved the regulations on membership in the Union of Legal Entities of the “Trans-Caspian International Transport Route” Association, composition of a working group on development of the transport route, action plan for 2017, the Union charter and its logo.
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route runs through China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and then through Turkey and Ukraine to Europe.
In October 2016, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Georgia signed an agreement on the establishment of the “Trans-Caspian International Transport Route” Association with its office in Astana. Its activities are aimed at attracting transit and foreign trade cargo, as well as developing integrated logistics products via the Route.
Speaking at the event, Gurbanov said that single tariffs for cargo transportation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route will be determined in the near future.
He said that the tariffs will be developed taking into account Ukraine’s joining this route.
“After the signing of today’s protocol, Ukraine will also officially become a member of our route,” Gurbanov said. “If earlier Batumi was our final destination, now the route will continue through Ukraine, so the tariffs will be set considering this factor.”
Alpysbayev, talking to reporters on the sidelines of the event, said that the staff of the association will be fully formed until late 2017.
The association’s staff will include representatives of all its member organizations, he said, noting that this will make it possible to further elaborate a general action plan for the promotion of this transport project. “This route is very promising, and the efforts made by all countries of this route to develop transport and logistics infrastructure will guarantee its success,” Alpysbayev said.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping CJSC and Kazakhstan Railways JSC signed an agreement on creating a joint venture in the field of freight traffic on the TransCaspian International Transport Route (TCITR).
The agreement on creation of the JV was signed by Head of Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Rauf Valiyev and President of Kazakhstan Railways Kanat Alpysbayev in Baku.
The document is a main part of the agreement on strategic cooperation signed between the two sides in December 2016.
The joint venture’s creation will give a momentum to the development of the TCITR, implementation of its potential and its effective use, and will become effective after the full commissioning of the Baku International Sea Trade Port and Kazakhstan’s Kuryk port, as well as the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway”.
Moreover, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan are planning to use unique ferries on the Caspian Sea, and the signed agreement will be useful for these ferries’ operation.
Azerbaijan owns fifty percent of the JV’s shares, while the remaining part is owned by Kazakhstan.