BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 8. Türkiye is closely cooperating with Azerbaijan on the Zangezur corridor, Turkish Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu said, TurkicWorld reports.
The minister noted that trial deliveries under the Development Road project will begin in 2024. The trillion-dollar road, also known as the Ovakoy project, will link Western and Persian Gulf trade, providing time and cost advantages.
"The Kazakhstan-Caspian crossings of the Middle Corridor, the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Türkiye route, and the cargoes transported through the China-Russia-Europe transport line called the Northern Corridor are insufficient to meet the volume caused by the shift towards the Middle Corridor after the Ukraine-Russia war," he said.
"In this context, we (the four countries) have signed an important cooperation on one of the routes that could be a good alternative. This cooperation includes issues such as digitization of the line, setting common transport tariffs, establishing technical teams to solve administrative and bureaucratic problems, and joint pilot transport in 2024. We believe that this road will make an important contribution to both the infrastructure and the economies of the countries through which it passes. I hope that with specific steps we will make this line efficient both in terms of cost and time," Uraloglu said.
Uraloglu mentioned that from the first day of the announcement, the Development Road managed to attract the attention of both the countries of the region and Europe.
"We have held meetings with the authorized bodies of the countries in the region responsible for transportation and investment since that day. Our diplomatic correspondence continues. We are currently finalizing the framework for cooperation. Our work continues in coordination with the Iraqi side," the minister emphasized.
"We have conducted field visits and technical studies related to preliminary work. Our ministry has held meetings with representatives of Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. I hope that specific steps will be taken as soon as possible. We want to sign a memorandum of cooperation with Iraq on this issue. We are conducting both international financial and domestic technical studies on the Zangezur corridor. In this context, we are working closely with the Azerbaijani side to accelerate the work on the Kars-Nakhchivan railway protocol signed between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on September 25, 2023," he added.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed "Protocol of Intentions between Azerbaijan and Türkiye on the Kars-Nakhchivan railroad project" on September 25.
