BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 9. The Russian Ministry of Transport is gearing up to give a facelift to the port infrastructure of its Makhachkala and Derbent, aiming to set the stage for international cruise routes with Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan, TurkicWorld reports via the ministry statement.
"Modernization and development of port facilities are essential to accommodating cruise ships in the ports of Makhachkala and Derbent. An opportunity exists to establish international routes with Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan. Border crossing points must be established at the ports, and intergovernmental agreements need to be executed.," the statement said.
According to the statement, next year, a new cruise ship will make waves in the Caspian Sea for the very first time.
The joined pathway will link the seaports of Russia's Makhachkala and Astrakhan with the river towns of Rostov-on-Don and Volgograd, opening the floodgates for a surge in tourist traffic in the Caspian region and giving a boost to cruise activities in the lower Volga.
Furthermore, in the years 2025-2026, the launch of three 'river-sea' class cruise liners from the 'Karelia' project, currently under construction at a shipyard in Nizhny Novgorod, is on the horizon.
"The ships will be used on combined routes along internal waterways in the Caspian, Black, Azov, and White Seas," the statement concludes.
