Page 53 - GEORptJun22

Kazakh PM calls on Asian countries to use Trans-Caspian International Transport Route ‘more intensely’
Kazakhstan plans to transport 2-3mn tonnes of oil through Georgia in 2022
25-km-long truck jams reported on Turkey-Georgia border as freight companies tell drivers to avoid Ukraine
Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov has called on Asian countries to use the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR and also known as the "Middle Corridor") “more intensely” in a video message to participants of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA).
The forum took place as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which officially launched prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Smailov made his remarks amid international sanctions against Russia that have complicated other routes. “The Trans-Caspian route meets the security requirements for the supplies and the demand for transcontinental cargo delivery,” Smailov said.
“President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev advanced a large-scale programme of political reforms aimed at building a New Kazakhstan this March. An action plan has been approved to implement political reforms and anti-crisis measures. This will contribute to the fulfilment of the social obligations of the state and create a favourable environment for sustainable development,” Smailov added.
The TITR runs from China to Europe and includes containerised rail transport and Caspian and Black Sea ferry terminals. Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey are three key countries in providing the corridor options.
Kazakhstan plans to transport two to three million tonnes of oil through the Georgian corridor in 2022, with further increase in the figure planned for the upcoming years, the economy ministry announced on April 26. During a meeting between Georgian Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili and a Kazakh delegation led by Yerzhan Kazikhan, the Special Representative of the President of Kazakhstan, the sides agreed to use joint efforts to attract and serve the transportation of goods in the transport corridors through Georgia and Kazakhstan “in the long run”, the ministry said.
Trade, economic, transport and logistical questions between the two countries were also discussed at the meeting, where both sides noted economic trends between Georgia and Kazakhstan were characterised by a growing dynamic, with potential for “much greater” results.
The readiness of Georgia's transport infrastructure for facilitating transportation of cargo to Kazakhstan and Central Asia was also noted at the meeting. Kairbek Uskenbayev, Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development of Kazakhstan, announced on March 29 that export and transit cargos from Kazakhstan would be redirected to the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route crossing Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey due to the war in Ukraine and sanctions imposed against Russia.
Truck jams stretching around 25 kilometres have reportedly built up on Turkey’s Sarp border crossing with Georgia as a result of international freight companies directing their drivers to take diversions that avoid conflict-torn Ukraine.
Drivers hoping to deliver their goods to destinations via the South Caucasus countries of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are having to wait days to get over the border, according to a report by daily Hurriyet.
Atif Kesim, head of the local chamber of commerce and industry in the Arhavi district of Artvin in Turkey, was quoted as saying: “I travelled all the way from Arhavi to Sarp. The line of trucks is unbelievable. If it goes like this, we will have to cancel the existing freight deals and export agreements. Logistics firms are facing serious problems, so are truck drivers.”
The traffic snarl-ups are a particular problem for fruit and vegetable growers in Turkey, whose main export market is Russia.
“It now takes up to 18 days for a truck to deliver fruits and vegetables to Russia, whereas it took only five days before. This means that produce’s
53 GEORGIA Country Report June 2022 www.intellinews.com