Uzbekistan is considering purchasing vessels from Turkmen shipbuilding enterprises to accelerate cargo transportation across the Caspian Sea, Minister of Transport Ilkhom Makhkamov said, according to Gazeta.uz on Sunday.

The minister noted that during a trilateral meeting in the "Azerbaijan–Turkmenistan–Uzbekistan" format held on Tuesday in Avaza, a memorandum of understanding was signed with Turkmenistan’s Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Mammetkhan Chakiyev, to enhance cooperation in the shipbuilding sector. The document enables the parties to explore in detail the technical and economic aspects of vessel acquisition and operation.

Following the trilateral summit, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan signed another memorandum on transport and logistics cooperation, which envisions the establishment of joint companies. These entities will facilitate uninterrupted cargo movement, offer freight forwarding services, and provide transportation incentives both from Uzbekistan and through its territory.

The Caspian Sea is the world’s largest inland body of water with no direct outlet to the open ocean, located at the intersection of two major parts of the Eurasian continent. Cargo transportation across the Caspian is a vital component of the international logistics network, connecting Central Asia, Iran, Russia, and the Caucasus.

According to forecasts by the Eurasian Development Bank, freight volumes along this corridor could reach between 25 and 32 million tons by 2030.

Source of information: Business Turkmenistan