The delegation of Turkmenistan will participate in the Global Gateway Investors Forum on Sustainable Transport between the EU and Central Asia, which will take place on January 29-30 in Brussels, Belgium. Information about the preparation and program of the Turkmen delegation's visit was announced at a government meeting on Friday.
As noted, the event will involve negotiations and business meetings with a number of European companies aimed at strengthening cooperation and implementing joint projects in the transport sector. President Serdar Berdimuhamedov has instructed to ensure the participation of the Turkmen delegation in the upcoming Global Gateway Investors Forum in Brussels, including hosting a high-level plenary session on the topic "Investment Opportunities of Turkmenistan's Transport Complex" as part of the forum.
The importance of this topic was also emphasized during the discussion of the Work Plans of the subordinate structures of the transport complex for 2024, which envisage the implementation of a number of major investment projects. Considering the key role of the country's transport and communication complex in the progressive development of the national economy, the plans include measures to increase freight traffic and transit opportunities in the region through the efficient operation of transport infrastructure. Therefore, the introduction of a digital system, the creation of favorable conditions for investment, and the development of international cooperation have been identified as priority areas for achieving the set tasks.
Special attention will be paid to strengthening the material and technical base of the complex, construction of modern railway and bus stations, airports, highways, freight terminals, sea vessels, residential buildings, production and social facilities, digital systems and telephone exchanges.
All these measures align with the main conclusions of the Study on Sustainable Transport Corridors between Europe with Central Asia, conducted by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) under the guidance and financial support of the European Commission. It is based on the results of this study that the Investors Forum in Brussels is organized to ensure specific follow-up actions on projects within the "Team Europe" approach.
The European study had two objectives: to identify the most sustainable transport corridors linking the five Central Asian republics (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) with the extended Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) of the EU, taking into account the environmental, social, economic and fiscal sustainability, as well as political viability; and to propose key actions for the development of the identified connections in terms of both soft infrastructure and physical infrastructure, adopting a sustainable approach to corridor development.
The study identified specific investment needs in infrastructure throughout the region (related to the modernization/reconstruction of existing railways, additional rail/road links, expanding ports' capacity, rolling stock, logistics centers, warehouses, etc.), as well as the need for coordinated actions in the soft component of ensuring interconnectivity (trade facilitation, regulatory measures, digitization, tariff harmonization, customs procedures, border control, functional compatibility, market liberalization, etc.).
All these are concrete and achievable actions that can contribute to the competitiveness, economic attractiveness and operational efficiency of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridors, in which Turkmenistan plays an important role. They open up opportunities for all five Central Asian countries to maximize their sustainable economic development by improving their connectivity with each other - and with Europe.
