The Minister of Transport of Kazakhstan, Marat Karabayev, has raised concerns about the transit of goods through Turkmenistan. In an interview with the TV channel 24.Kz, he discussed the challenges faced in transporting goods to Armenia via Turkmenistan, Iran, and further on. One of the main issues mentioned was the visa requirement for transiting through Turkmenistan, which is being addressed within the framework of the Ashgabat Agreement.
Turkmenistan requires visas for all visitors, including transit passengers, from all countries. Despite this, Turkmenistan is often promoted in the media as a key transit hub, being referred to as the "heart of the Great Silk Road." Recently, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rashid Meredov, met with the Secretary-General of the Intergovernmental Commission TRACECA, Aset Asavbayev, to discuss Turkmenistan's role in enhancing the region's transport and transit potential.
Meanwhile, Tajikistan has started running trains to Russia in 2022, bypassing Turkmenistan. This decision came after facing challenges with the previous route that passed through Turkmenistan for around 30 years. Additionally, Uzbek Railways announced issues in cooperation with Turkmen colleagues in 2023, citing delays in unloading transit goods, the use of wagons with expired repairs, and other shortcomings.
