Turkmenistan Signals Push To Expand Transit Via Caspian Ports

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 3. Turkmenistan is ready to expand transit shipments via its Caspian port infrastructure, Chairman of the country's Halk Maslahaty (Parliament) Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said.

According to the press service of the Turkmenistan government, Berdimuhamedov made these remarks during a general meeting at the Ruhyýet Palace in the city of Arkadag.

“Our country is ready to consider proposals for using its port infrastructure to accelerate and expand transit shipments along the Trans-Caspian Corridor in the western direction,” he said, outlining the country's significant port infrastructure.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said the adoption of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea had created favorable opportunities for using the Caspian as a key transit route connecting Southeast Asia with the western part of the continent through Central Asia.

“In this regard, the eastern coast of the Caspian is gaining exceptional importance,” he said.

Berdimuhamedov also highlighted Turkmenistan's role in promoting international transport cooperation, noting that six transport-related resolutions had been adopted by the UN General Assembly at the country's initiative in recent years.

He said Turkmenistan would continue work on creating a Global Atlas of Sustainable Transport Connectivity, describing it as a comprehensive analytical and information tool for monitoring the implementation of the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport for 2026-2035.

Meanwhile, Turkmenistan has been developing its transport sector around the idea of turning its Caspian coast and road and rail network into a transit bridge between Central Asia, the South Caucasus and international markets. A key element is the International Seaport of Turkmenbashi, which provides a maritime link across the Caspian and is intended to support cargo flows between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan and onward to the South Caucasus and Europe. The country has also invested in road and rail links connecting the port with neighboring states and inland destinations.

This infrastructure increasingly overlaps with the Middle Corridor, or Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, linking China and Central Asia with Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye before reaching European markets. The country has also been working on digitalizing transit procedures, including the use of the e-TIR system, to reduce paperwork and improve the movement of goods across borders.

Another part of Turkmenistan's transit strategy is the development of routes toward Afghanistan and Iran. The Lapis Lazuli Corridor connects Afghanistan through Turkmenistan, the Caspian Sea, and Azerbaijan with Türkiye and Europe, making Turkmenistan's territory and the Port of Turkmenbashi part of a broader westward trade route. Railway connections such as the Herat-Torghundi line can further link Afghanistan's markets with Turkmenistan's transport infrastructure. This makes the sector increasingly important not only for transit revenues but also for diversifying trade routes and strengthening Turkmenistan's position as a logistics hub between Central Asia, the Caspian region, and Afghanistan.

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