Greeting the ceremony participants, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov congratulated all those present on the remarkable event – the opening of Turkmenistan-Iran section of Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway.
The Turkmen leader noted that the construction of the railway started seven years ago, on December 1, 2007. Much work has been over the past period, and it has been completed today.
The total length of the railway, which stretches from the steppes of Kazakhstan across the Karakum Desert to mountainous Golestan Province in northern Iran, is 900 kilometres. Kazakhstan section of the new transport corridor is 146 kilometres long; it stretches from Uzen station in Mangystau Region to Bolashak station on the border with Turkmenistan. The necessary infrastructure networks, including railway stations, railway platforms, technical and social facilities, were built on this section.
The longest section of the railway crosses the territory of Turkmenistan; together with the branch lines, it stretches 825 kilometres. Turkmen railway builders built 500 kilometres of the steel road from Bereket station across Gyzylgaya to the state border with Kazakhstan, where a new settlement Serhetyaka was built, in harsh natural and climatic conditions within a short period of time. Much work was done to equip and improve the new railway. Dozens of facilities, railway terminals, depots, stations and platforms and supply networks were built along the rail route.
The southern branch lines of the railway – the section from Bereket to the administrative centre of Etrek Etrap located on the border between Turkmenistan and Iran – was put into operation on that day. Its total length together with the branch lines exceeds 325 kilometres.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that the railway was cost-effective for ample opportunities it opened up to transport goods, including transit goods, along the shortest route. It is planned to convey passengers along this railway in the future.
The economies of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan have been steadily developing in recent years. The Turkmen leader noted that the existing production capacity set the task of exploring new markets for their products to the two neighbouring countries that have no navigable route to the ocean. The completion of construction of the railway section across the territory of Iran will make it possible to increase transportation of goods to the Middle East, South Asia and South East Asia.
This project provides that this railway will be connected to transport networks eastwards and southwards and provide an outlet to the economic centres, such as China, India, Pakistan, the Asia-Pacific region. In its turn, it is a good example of the new way of global geo-economic thinking and the views on the strategic further development of global geo-economics.
The Turkmen leader noted that the great prospects of the project for enhancing cooperation within the international and regional organisations, including the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Economic Cooperation Organization, were evident.
The objectives of this ambitious project are fully consistent with the long-term strategy of the United Nations, its specialized agencies, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in terms of the vision of the region as a strong link in the chain of strategic stability in the southern belt of Eurasia, a promising economic partner, a major transportation and transit hub of the continental importance.
“Today will go down in history forever as the date of the opening of the new railway, which is a vital component of the North-South transport corridor on the Eurasian continent," President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov concluded.
The Turkmen leader noted that the construction of the railway started seven years ago, on December 1, 2007. Much work has been over the past period, and it has been completed today.
The total length of the railway, which stretches from the steppes of Kazakhstan across the Karakum Desert to mountainous Golestan Province in northern Iran, is 900 kilometres. Kazakhstan section of the new transport corridor is 146 kilometres long; it stretches from Uzen station in Mangystau Region to Bolashak station on the border with Turkmenistan. The necessary infrastructure networks, including railway stations, railway platforms, technical and social facilities, were built on this section.
The longest section of the railway crosses the territory of Turkmenistan; together with the branch lines, it stretches 825 kilometres. Turkmen railway builders built 500 kilometres of the steel road from Bereket station across Gyzylgaya to the state border with Kazakhstan, where a new settlement Serhetyaka was built, in harsh natural and climatic conditions within a short period of time. Much work was done to equip and improve the new railway. Dozens of facilities, railway terminals, depots, stations and platforms and supply networks were built along the rail route.
The southern branch lines of the railway – the section from Bereket to the administrative centre of Etrek Etrap located on the border between Turkmenistan and Iran – was put into operation on that day. Its total length together with the branch lines exceeds 325 kilometres.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted that the railway was cost-effective for ample opportunities it opened up to transport goods, including transit goods, along the shortest route. It is planned to convey passengers along this railway in the future.
The economies of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan have been steadily developing in recent years. The Turkmen leader noted that the existing production capacity set the task of exploring new markets for their products to the two neighbouring countries that have no navigable route to the ocean. The completion of construction of the railway section across the territory of Iran will make it possible to increase transportation of goods to the Middle East, South Asia and South East Asia.
This project provides that this railway will be connected to transport networks eastwards and southwards and provide an outlet to the economic centres, such as China, India, Pakistan, the Asia-Pacific region. In its turn, it is a good example of the new way of global geo-economic thinking and the views on the strategic further development of global geo-economics.
The Turkmen leader noted that the great prospects of the project for enhancing cooperation within the international and regional organisations, including the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Economic Cooperation Organization, were evident.
The objectives of this ambitious project are fully consistent with the long-term strategy of the United Nations, its specialized agencies, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in terms of the vision of the region as a strong link in the chain of strategic stability in the southern belt of Eurasia, a promising economic partner, a major transportation and transit hub of the continental importance.
“Today will go down in history forever as the date of the opening of the new railway, which is a vital component of the North-South transport corridor on the Eurasian continent," President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov concluded.