Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan agree on expansion of cooperation in railway sector

By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan have signed a protocol on expansion of bilateral cooperation in the railway sector.

The document was signed following the meeting of Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways Javid Gurbanov and First Deputy Chairman of the Senate of Uzbekistan’s Parliament Sodiq Safoyev.

During the meeting, Gurbanov elaborated on the reforms carried out in Azerbaijan’s railway sector, the work aimed at increasing transit capacity and future goals.

He also informed about the BTK railway project, which is being constructed on the basis of the Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement.

Its peak capacity will be 17 million tons of cargo per year. At the initial stage, this figure will be one million passengers and 6.5 million tons of cargo.

During the meeting, the sides also discussed the bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan Railways and Uzbekistan Railways.

Besides, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan agreed to create a joint working group on development of transit freight traffic.

The agreement was reached during the trilateral meeting of leadership of the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping, Azerbaijan Railways CJSC and Uzbekistan Railways JSC, held in Baku on March 27.

The main task of the working group will be the analysis of the cargo market, the study of transportation technologies, preparation and implementation of marketing strategy and others.

The sides also signed a tripartite memorandum on development of freight traffic from Europe to Central Asia and Afghanistan and vice versa. The document also says that the parties have identified the products that will be transported via this route.