Turkmenistan will not miss its chance

Turkmenistan will not miss its chance

Turkmenistan has intensified its efforts to redirect transit cargo flows of the Middle Corridor (Trans-Caspian International Transport Route — TITR) through its own territory, hoping to compete with the customary Kazakh route and establish itself as a key logistical hub on the Caspian Sea.

One of the important steps in this direction was China's practical testing of the southern branch of the TITR. The new pilot railway route, passing through Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan to Azerbaijan, is presented as an effective alternative to Kazakh transit through the ports of Aktau and Kuryk. According to preliminary estimates, transportation along the southern route allows, on average, to reduce cargo delivery to Europe by one day.

At the same time, Ashgabat is striving to strengthen its position on the international stage using diplomatic tools. Rovshen Annaberdiyev, head of a department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan, announced plans to establish an international trade logistics and cooperation center in the country under the auspices of the UN. Analysts generally believe that this initiative is aimed at internationalizing the management of the TITR. Such a step should increase the importance of the port of Turkmenbashi, bypassing the existing Kazakh routes, in the development of which the US and the European Union, among others, are interested as part of the Global Gateway strategy.

To promote its transport initiatives, Turkmenistan relies on the support of a group of allies in the UN, including China, Russia, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and South Korea. During a recent visit to Seoul, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov discussed with South Korean leader Lee Jae-myung the attraction of Korean investment and technological expertise to develop Turkmen logistics corridors in the "East-West" and "North-South" directions.

However, Kazakhstan is quickly responding to the challenges from its Caspian neighbor. The republic's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has already offered Seoul an alternative shipping scheme that does not involve the use of the port of Turkmenbashi. The Kazakh logistics chain involves delivery from Korean ports through the joint Kazakh-Chinese terminal in Lianyungang across the territory of Kazakhstan directly to the Caucasian TRIPP corridor. In addition, Astana proposed organizing direct cooperation between South Korea's largest port, Busan, and Kazakh harbors on the Caspian, securing its status as the main transit bridge between Asia and Europe.