China starts importing to Turkey via BTK

By Rasana Gasimova

China started shipping dried fruits to Turkey via the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway.

In late December, a train carrying 44 containers loaded with 40 foot of walnut from Urumqi, the administrative center of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwestern China, crossed Kazakhstan and reached Baku International Sea Port, local media reported.

The cargo will be delivered to the city of Mersin in Turkey via the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway in the next few days. ADY Container, a subsidiary of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, is one of the freight carriers.

Over 984 tonnes of walnuts have been delivered to Turkey from Hotan, Kashgar and Aksu prefectures. The next train, loaded with walnuts, is scheduled to depart Turkey In February.

Commissioning of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which provides the shortest railway link between China and Europe, has opened up more favorable opportunities for the transportation of goods from China to Europe. It has made shipping cargo to Europe more time and cost efficient.

The BTK railway was put into operation on October 30, 2017. The total length of the railway constructed on the basis a Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement, is 826 km.

The project implementation began in 2007 and construction began in 2008. The line is intended to transport one million passengers and 6.5 million tons of freight at the first stage. This capacity will then reach 3 million passengers and 17 million tons of cargo.

The main purpose of the project was to improve economic relations between the three countries and attract foreign direct investment by connecting Europe and Asia.

Providing the shortest rail link between Europe and Asia, BTK plays an important role in the implementation of China's "One Belt, One Road" strategy and International North-South Transport Corridor.