Representatives of the Association “Turkmen Logistics” and the member companies of the Association, as well as experts from other Central Asian countries made a study trip to Latvia and Lithuania in order to explore new transport routes and their potential. The trip was facilitated by the USAID Project on Trade in Central Asia, the IPC “TRACECA” and the Union of Transport Workers of Kazakhstan “Kazlogistics”.
A member of the Turkmen delegation Sapa Gurbanberdiyev, a leading specialist of the Economic Society “Türkmen logistika ulgamy”, told about the results of the visit in his article, published by the newspaper “Neutral Turkmenistan”.
On the sidelines of the business trip, Memoranda of Understanding were signed between the Turkmen Logistics Association and the Latvian National Association of Freight Forwarders and Logistics (LAFF), as well as the Lithuanian National Association of Exporters and Logisticians (LINEKA).
Round tables, corporate forums, and bilateral meetings with parties interested in cooperating were organised as part of the study tour. In addition, the Turkmen-Latvian Working Group on Transport conducted its third meeting in Riga.
At the round table sessions, more than 70 participants represented medium and large-scale industrial enterprises (cargo owners), transport and logistics centers and associations, companies engaged in international and multimodal transportation.
The focus was on the implementation of transportation opportunities between the Baltic region and Central Asia. Within the framework of business forums, each country made presentations about its potential for developing trade and interaction between carriers of Central Asia and the EU.
In addition, the delegation visited the terminals of the Free Port of Riga, the Free Port of Liepaja, the Klaipeda State Seaport, the Free Economic Zone of Klaipeda and the Kaunas Intermodal Terminal.
Turkmenistan and Latvia have outlined plans to enhance connectivity
At the meeting of the Turkmenistan–Latvia Joint Working Group on transport, cooperation within the framework of the Agreement between the Governments of Turkmenistan and Latvia on International Road transport was considered.
In particular, plans for the development of logistics supply chains between the two countries were discussed, information was provided on the advantages and possibilities of using the Latvian transport infrastructure as an integrated complex of multimodal corridors for handling import, export and transit cargo of Turkmenistan.
The opportunity for Turkmen entrepreneurs to create production and transport and logistics enterprises, terminals, warehouses on the territories of Latvian ports and special economic zones for the production, storage, processing and distribution of Turkmen goods on the market of the European Union, the Baltic States and Scandinavia was particularly emphasized. The Latvian side also noted the possibilities of developing rail transportation provided by the Baltika-Transit container train.
In turn, the Turkmen delegation informed the Latvian colleagues about the potential and capacities of the Turkmenbashi International Seaport, the use of railway platforms for multimodal cargo transportation through Turkmenistan towards Central Asian countries and beyond. Representatives of Latvian companies were invited to visit the port of Turkmenbashi for a more substantive discussion of partnership.
An agreement was reached to develop the export of raw materials and manufactured goods of Turkmenistan to Europe and the transportation of import goods in the opposite direction through via Latvia.
The possibility was noted to increase container and combined intermodal cargo transportation between Latvia and Turkmenistan, as well as other Central Asian countries, with the connection of various transit corridors and with an emphasis on the development of alternative logistics routes based on TRACECA.
The parties agreed to consider opportunities to develop air cargo transportation between Turkmenistan and Latvia, creating new logistics chains in Eurasia for the supply of e-commerce goods from Asia to Europe and North America and vice versa.
In this context, the potential of using the cargo infrastructure of Riga Airport and all Turkmen airports for transit and flow of imported goods from Scandinavia and the Baltic countries, transportation of perishable agricultural products from Turkmenistan to the Baltic countries, and the flow of Chinese e-commerce through Turkmenistan to Latvia was considered.
Prospects of cooperation with Latvian Post (Latvijas Pasts) and Cainio Global using the fleet of cargo aircraft of the Turkmen airline were noted.
Following the meeting, a protocol was signed. ///nCa, 21 June 2023
#Latvia, #Lithuania, #Turkmenistan, #transport, #connectivity, #Central_Asia, #Association_”Turkmen_Logistics”