(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 25. The second day of the 83rd meeting of the CIS Railway Transport Council has started in Baku, Trend reports.

The event is attended by the leadership of the railway administrations of Azerbaijan, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Iran, Latvia, and Estonia, as well as the Organization for Cooperation between Railways (OSJD), the CIS Executive Committee, and the International Confederation of Railway Workers' Trade Unions.

In his opening remarks, Minister of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan Rashad Nabiyev announced that Azerbaijan intends to boost cargo turnover on the North-South route to five million tons per year from January 1, 2028.

The minister brought up that last year, Azerbaijan and Russia struck a cooperation deal to work on transit traffic along the North-South International Transport Corridor. The documents provide for the modernization of railway infrastructure and a phased growth in freight traffic.

"For example, starting January 1, 2028, we plan to increase the turnover on this route to five million tons and subsequently to 15 million tons per year," he explained.

General Director of Russian Railways Oleg Belozerov pointed out that cargo turnover of CIS Council for Rail Transport member countries exceeds U.S. and EU figures.

"Last year, the combined freight turnover of the council member countries' railways amounted to almost 3 trillion ton-kilometers. This is 1.3 times, or 30 percent, more compared to U.S. Class I railways and almost eight times more compared to the EU," he noted.

Will be updated

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