BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 9. Uzbek
Uztemiryolkonteyner and railway administrations from Kyrgyzstan,
Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye signed a six-party
protocol in Tashkent on Oct. 7–8 to advance the CASCA+
international multimodal transport route, focusing on increasing
freight volumes, improving tariff conditions and reducing container
delays along the corridor.
This was reflected in the statement by Uztemiryolkonteyner
(UTK).
The talks focused on expanding freight transportation between
Asia and Europe, improving the competitiveness of the CASCA+ route
and making more effective use of the participating countries’
transit potential.
The sides reviewed current freight operations and prospects for
further developing the corridor. Particular attention was paid to
increasing cargo volumes and introducing competitive tariffs for
transporting goods in refrigerated containers.
"Special attention was paid to the issues of increasing cargo
flows, introducing competitive tariff conditions for the
transportation of goods in refrigerated containers, ensuring the
regular provision of fitting platforms throughout the route, as
well as preventing long downtime of containers in ports," the
statement said.
In addition, the discussions covered ensuring the regular
availability of container flatcars along the entire route and
preventing prolonged container delays at ports.
The six railway administrations signed a joint protocol
outlining the agreements reached and identifying priority areas for
further cooperation, according to the Uzbek side.
The measures are aimed at improving the efficiency of freight
transportation, strengthening coordination among railway operators
and enhancing the corridor’s ability to handle cargo moving between
Asian and European markets.
The meeting forms part of broader regional efforts to strengthen
multimodal transport links and improve the use of transit routes
connecting Central Asia with the South Caucasus, Türkiye and
Europe.
