Turkmenistan to Increase Volume of Turnover and Transit via Georgia
ASHGABAT – Turkmenistan intends to increase the amount of turnover and transit through Georgia, according to information released following a joint meeting of Georgia’s President Giorgi Margvelashvili and his Turkmen counterpart, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on November 26.
Georgia’s Presidential Administration reports that the presidents discussed large-scale projects, including the Silk Road.
President Margvelashvili noted that the Silk Road project creates broader prospects of cooperation between the two countries in the area of transportation.
The importance of the Lapis Lazuli project was also underlined, which envisages the development of transport, transit and trade cooperation from Afghanistan to the West via Turkmenistan, Baku, Tbilisi, the Georgian ports of Poti and Batumi, Kars and Istanbul.
The sides noted Georgia’s important role in the region as a transit country connecting east and west.
Margvelashvili affirmed his support of Turkmen gas transportation to Europe via Georgia, while President Berdimuhamedow confirmed that Turkmenistan intends to increase the amount of turnover and transit traffic via Georgia.
Margvelashvili stated that Georgia is ready to continue its active participation in projects relating to the transportation of Caspian energy resources to Europe.
The presidents further discussed prospects of deepening trade and economic relations between Georgia and Turkmenistan, with Margvelashvili saying that Georgia welcomed the holding of joint business forums and the visits of Turkmen entrepreneurs and investors to Georgia to examine new opportunities to strengthen trade and economic cooperation.
Their conversation also touched upon the cooperation of Georgia and Turkmenistan in the area of culture. As noted, such cooperation is conducive to forming mutual understanding and friendship between the Georgian and Turkmen peoples.
Prior to meeting the Turkmen President, Margvelashvili took part in the Global Sustainable Transport Conference, which was held on Saturday with the support of the United Nations (UN) and was attended by more than 80 international delegations, the leaders of multiple countries, and heads of international organizations, including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier.
“This was a very good opportunity for us to underline Georgia’s role as an important country linking Europe and Asia,” President Margvelashvili stated after the conference.
Georgia’s Presidential Administration said a number of interesting transport projects are planned in which Georgia is directly involved.
Thea Morrison