Turkmenistan and Russia are aiming to launch regular container service on the eastern branch of the North-South international transport corridor in the near future, the Russian Railways (RZD) OJSC said in its statement following the negotiations of the RZD General Director Oleg Belozerov in Turkmen capital Ashgabat on Wednesday.
During the visit, the RZD Head held talks with Rashid Meredov, Deputy Chairman of Cabinet of Ministers Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, Mammethan Chakiyev, the General Director of the Agency for Transport and Communications under the Turkmen Cabinet, and Azat Atamyradov, Chairman of the Türkmendemirýollary (Turkmen Railways) Agency.
The talks focused on development of transportation on the eastern route of North-South international transport corridor, which runs along the railroads of Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran and then along the sea route to the countries of the Persian Gulf and South Asia.
"Organization of transportation of coke, metallurgical products and a number of other goods through Turkmenistan and Iran to the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and some other countries is under consideration," RZD said in the statement.
According to preliminary estimates, by 2025 the total volume of export shipments from Russia on the eastern branch of the North-South corridor may reach more than 5 million tons a year.
In July, the Russian Railways organized the transportation of the first container train on the eastern branch of the North-South corridor to India.