Today, the hotel "Ýyldyz" hosted the closing of the XXXVIII meeting of the Conference of heads and responsible representatives of railway enterprises of member states of the Organization for Cooperation of Railways (OSJD), which was held in the Turkmen capital from April 15 to April 19.

As was informed, heads and experts of profile departments, railway administrations from over 20 member countries of OSJD, including from Turkmenistan took part in the representative forum.  

During five days on the margins of the agenda, participants of the meeting discussed and approved results of the activities of OSJD Commissions on Freight and Passenger Transport, Infrastructure and Rolling Stock, Coding and Informatics, as well as OSJD Permanent Working Groups on Financial and Settlement Issues for 2023, plans of work of the Organization for future and others.

Development of railway branch, taking into account an exclusive importance of the given type of transport on which the basic load by mass transportations for long distances is laid, is one of the priorities of our state, which stakes on regular strengthening and expansion of trade and economic relations with all interested partner countries. It is promoted directly by the policy of wide international cooperation pursued by President Serdar Berdimuhamedov in the transport sphere taking into account a favourable geographical position of the country.

According to the Program of development of transport diplomacy of Turkmenistan for 2022-2025, strategic areas for complex modernisation of the material and technical basis all types of transport, formation of modern profile infrastructure as well as further strengthening of positions of Turkmenistan as the regional centre of international transport-transit corridors were considered.

In this connection, they expressed their support to initiatives of the President of Turkmenistan, who purses the constructive policy, a basis of which was laid by National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty Hero-Arkadag Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.

It was pointed out that our country is a party to over ten international conventions on transport, an initiator of organization of the first global conference on sustainable  transport. At the proposal of Turkmenistan, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolutions with a view of development of multilateral transport cooperation in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2021. The past year, the Community of the Nations adopted the Resolution on announcement of the 26th November as World Sustainable Transport Day.

Becoming a member of OSJD in 1994, Turkmenistan has tuned into an important link of international transit of cargoes, thanks to its developing railway infrastructure at the national level and well co-ordinated transport policy at the region levels.  Our country has also adjusted relations on the margins of OSJD platform in the field of information technology, scientific and technical and ecological issues.

In this regard, it was marked that the Organization welcomes and entirely supports efforts of Turkmenistan in development of national transport infrastructure, which allows it to raise considerably the transit potential of network of railway corridors in the centre of the Asian continent.

Among the major themes of discussion – issues of expansion of bilateral interaction within the framework of the Organization, including development of contractual-legal basis of cooperation. The parties considered possibilities of conduction of basic meetings of OSJD as well as realisation of potential of cargo and passenger transportation of our country by existing and newly opened routes, in particular, by the transnational railway Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran.

As known, in ancient times Turkmenistan, through the territory of which ran major trades routes of the region, was named «crossing of seven roads». In the new historical epoch, our state aspires to realise its potential in the transport sphere with a view of adjustment of mutually beneficial trade and economic relations, which meets interests of progress and prosperity of all countries and people of the Eurasian continent. Having been considerably extended in recent years, the national network of railways today has entered into a new stage, having given a powerful impulse to dynamical development of regions of the country.

It was noted that the high requirements for the railway sector steadily grows and they concern various fields of activity - increase of efficiency of management, introduction of modern principles of management, regular update of resource basis and rational use of rolling stock, maintenance of high level of service and safety of passengers, working conditions of the personnel.

As was underlined, development of modern transport corridors of the country in directions of the East-West and the North-South remains one of the priority goals, success of which in many respects is defined by the Ashgabat-Turkmenabat high-speed highway with a length of 600 kilometres.

In the given context, foreign participants of the forum stated that the construction of the autobahn – another evidence of revival of the ancient Great Silk road in the modern format and expressed their gratitude to the head of Turkmenistan for possibility of participation in the solemn opening ceremony of the Tejen-Mary section of the Ashgabat-Turkmenabat autobahn.

As known, the Ashgabat forum was also marked by the 30th anniversary of membership of "Türkmendemirýollary" Agency of in the Organization for Cooperation of Railways. In honour of the significant date, Chairman of the OSJD Committee M.Antonovich handed to "Türkmendemirýollary" Agency a special commemorative sign.

During the meeting, delegates summed up the work of target groups for 2023 in such areas as infrastructure and railway traffic structure, procedure of mutual settlements between railways, mechanism of settlement of debts and others.

On the sidelines of the forum, meetings between railway departments of our country and OSJD member states took place, a number of bilateral documents, the Protocol aimed at strengthening of effective cooperation of parties for general well-being and progressive development was signed.

By the outcome of the meeting, the Ashgabat Declaration aimed at strengthening of fruitful partnership and trustful relations with OSJD member countries by the region was adopted.

The gathered expressed their sincere gratitude to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov for the hospitality accorded on the Turkmen land, creation of favourable conditions for constructive and businesslike work of the forum as well as unanimously held the opinion that the present meeting will serve the further strengthening of mutual understanding and cooperation.

Participants of the XXXVIII meeting of the Conference of heads and responsible representatives of railway enterprises of member states of the Organization for Cooperation of Railways adopted the Message to President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov in which they expressed their gratitude for the hospitality and high level of organisation of the event.