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Ashgabat transit MoU

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7/13/2015

Ashgabat transit MoU

Representatives from Iran, Oman, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan inked a memorandum of understanding on Monday at the first meeting of the Coordination Council of Ashgabat Agreement on the establishment of an international transportation and transit corridor.

The document was signed by the head of Iran's Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization, representative of the Omani Ministry of Transport and Communications, Uzbek Minister of Foreign Economic Affairs, Investments and Trade Elyor Ganiyev and Turkmen Minister of Railway Transport Bayram Annameredov.

The MoU seeks to facilitate transportation along the multi-faceted corridor stretching from Central Asia to the Persian Gulf and Oman.

Based on the MoU, the four member countries are required to set up an expert working group to draw up strategies to expand transit cooperation.

The countries agreed that once the strategy is developed by the working group, it will be handed over to Turkmenistan, as the trustee country, to be summed up.

Keshavarzian said Iran is determined to use its full potential to develop transit in the region.

Speaking at the first meeting of Coordination Council of Ashgabat Agreement, Keshavarzian said the agreement to set up the international transport and transit corridor which was signed by Iran, Oman, Qatar, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in 2011, opened a new chapter in cooperation among these countries.

Iran's special geopolitical location, which lies in the heart of the Silk Road and several transport corridors, plays a very effective role in developing regional trade and transit.

The official said 12 million tons of goods were transited via Iran in 2014.

Road Ministry of Iran has equipped Persian Gulf and Caspian Sea ports to increase cargo handling capacity, built Atrak-Barekat Railway, extended Chabahar-Sarakhs railway network with the length of 1,500 km, equipped and developed Chabahar Port and approved a strategic plan on road safety for 2010-2019.

Kazakhstan joins to Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Oman corridor

16 February 2015 The first session of Coordination Council of the agreement on creation of transport corridor among the Governments of Iran, Oman, Qatar, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan was held in Tehran on 15 February 2015.

At the session, President of Kazakhstan Railways Askar Mamin announced about intention of Kazakhstan to joint Ashgabat Agreement.

Head of Kazakh delegation noted that international transport corridors in direction North-South and East-West pass via territory of Kazakhstan.

He noted that development of economies of China, Central Asian states, Iran and other Persian Gulf countries will allow to transfer some sea cargo to transcontinental land routes.

Mamin said that Kazakhstan seas great potential in attracting additional cargoes transportation in the region by members of Ashgabat Agreement.

The volume of railway transportation with Ashgabat Agreement members in 2014 rose by 10% year-on-year in 2014 and reached 25 million tonnes of cargoes. At the same time, about 41% of cargoes were Kazakh export products, directed to these state or transit via their territories.

He said that it is expected that the volume of transportation between Kazakhstan and Ashgabat Agreement can reach 40 million tonnes a year.

Kazakh official said that Kazakhstan pays great attention to cooperation of Ashgabat Agreement on creation of international transport and transit corridor Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Oman and hopes for joint efforts to develop transportation in the region.

Member states of Ashgabat Agreement approved accession of Kazakhstan to international transport and transit corridor Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Oman.

President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov proposed to create transport corridor Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Oman-Qatar and other states of Persian Gulf in Ashgabat on 19 October 2010.

Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Oman and Qatar signed an agreement on creation of new international transport corridor, linking Central Asia with Persian Gulf, on 25 April 2011.

Foreign Ministers of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Oman and Qatar inked the document in Ashgabat, capital city of Turkmenistan. Later, Qatar decided not to participate in the project.

The new transport corridor will run from Uzbekistan across Turkmenistan and then to the Gulf via Iran, bypassing Afghanistan.

According to the Uzbek side, the establishment of railway road communication from Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to southern ports of Iran will help to create important transport network among the countries of Persian and Oman Gulfs and all Central Asian states.

The memorandum understanding on implementation of the agreement on creation of transport corridor among the Governments of Iran, Oman, Qatar, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan (Ashgabat agreement) was signed by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Oman in Muscat on 6 August 2014.

India has also shown interest in this corridor.