Turkmenistan, located at the intersection of the most important North-South and East–West transport and transit routes, plays a key role in the development of logistics in the Eurasian region. The country is actively developing its transport infrastructure, attracting the attention of investors and international partners. Akmukhammet Yusubov, Deputy Chairman of the Turkmen Logistika Association, writes about this in his article in the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper.
In 2020, the Turkmen Logistika Association was established, uniting 158 private freight forwarding companies. This organization is actively expanding its network of international partners and has already concluded more than 20 cooperation agreements with similar associations from Asia and Europe.
Turkmen carriers offer competitive rates for cargo delivery to and from Chinese seaports, as well as through the ports of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Malaysia, Iran, India, the United Arab Emirates, and Romania. In recent years, there has been a steady increase in the export of industrial and agricultural goods by road from Turkmenistan to the countries of Central Asia. Rail transportation is particularly developing along the North–South routes and along the Trans-Asian Highway connecting China and Iran through the territory of Turkmenistan, the article emphasizes.
The members of the Turkmen Logistika Association actively use the opportunities of the Turkmenbashi International Seaport. This port has become an important hub for the delivery of goods to Azerbaijan, Georgia, Türkiye, and Europe. The number of container shipments has also increased. The main transportation routes are determined by Turkmenistan’s foreign economic relations and the needs of the domestic market. The key area remains the continental part of Eurasia, where both road and rail transportation are actively developing. In this regard, a number of members of the Turkmen Logistika Association have already successfully implemented projects for the construction of cargo terminals at border crossings, creating convenient conditions for storage, transshipment, and processing of accompanying documents.
Investment Prospects
Being at the crossroads of North-South and East–West transport and transit routes, Turkmenistan, like the entire region of Central Asia and the Caspian basin, is a promising economic partner for European and Asian countries and a major transport and transit hub of continental importance. The main advantage of international transport corridors running through the territory of Turkmenistan is a significant reduction in distances. And this arouses the interest of potential investors in the country.
At the recent international forum “Investments in the Future of Turkmenistan,” special attention was paid to the country’s transport and logistics capabilities. Foreign investors have shown interest in projects to establish large logistics centers in the border areas:
- Garabogaz (border with Kazakhstan),
- Serakhs and Akyayla (border with Iran),
- Farab (border with Uzbekistan).
Digitalization of logistics is another promising area. Turkmen companies are striving to introduce electronic cargo tracking systems, warehouse operations management, and the creation of online platforms to optimize logistics processes.
At the bilateral meetings that took place on the sidelines of the forum, international experts and representatives of foreign transport companies explored the possibilities of economic cooperation and investment prospects. As it was emphasized, the growth of investments in transport and logistics is due to the stable demand for transit and multimodal transportation from industrial enterprises: an increase in the number of consumers of logistics services; optimization of transportation time; reduction of transportation costs; significant volume of export-import cargo flows, including container traffic; development of transport routes and all types of trade. Being located at a geographically advantageous intersection of international transport and transit routes, Turkmenistan is considered a key link for transport connectivity in the North-South and East–West directions.///nCa, 27 March 2025