Today President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev and President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov participated in the opening ceremony of the Bolashak (Kazakhstan)-Serkhetyaka (Turkmenistan) Railway Crossing.
Upon arrival at the Bolashak Station, the presentation on the transit transport potential of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan was presented for the two heads of state.
Moreover, the two presidents observed the online launch of the Railway Uzen State Border with Turkmenistan and the movement of the train with Kazakh grain from the Kostanay Region to the Bolashak Station.
Following the presentation, the two presidents met with the heads of the railway companies of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.
Then, the heads of state went to the station square and met with the railway workers and representatives of the region community. President Nazarbayev greeted the residents of the region and emphasized the special role of the Mangistau region for the country.
Nursultan Nazarbayev noted that due to the opening of the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan section of the Uzen-Bereket-Gorgan Railway passing through the territory of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran, the Mangistau region will provide an access both to the Caspian sea and the southern seas.
Then, the two leaders took part in the “Golden Railway Bed” ceremony of rail laying.
In his speech, President Nursultan Nazarbayev emphasized that the transnational object has a historical importance.
“It opens a direct railway communication between Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. The new road provides a shortest way of delivery of cargoes, including transit, and passenger traffic in the future. Time is an important factor nowadays. Thus, reduction in terms of cargo turnover provides a significant competitive advantage. In turn, it will increase business activities and in the long run, the growth of welfare of our countries. Moreover, the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan railway is a key part of the future transit corridor with an access to the Persian Gulf,” President Nazarbayev said.
The President of Kazakhstan pointed out that the realization of this project started in October 2007.
“In 2007, together with the presidents of Turkmenistan and Iran we signed a declaration on construction of a highway with the Uzen-Bereket-Gorgan route. In 2009, we started the construction works. At present, the works on construction of the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan railway line has been successfully completed. In the future, we plan to open the route which will link the transport networks of Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe. This idea was considered long before the signing of the declaration,” Nursultan Nazarbayev highlighted.
The President of Kazakhstan emphasized that the relevance of the project has been further increased over the past years.
“The center of gravity both for world trade and production shifted to Asia, strengthening the importance of an access to the Asian markets. At the same time, the economies of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan showed a stable growth over the last years. However, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan do not have a direct access to the ocean. Accumulated production potential has set the task to search for new markets, new points of application of forces,” the President of Kazakhstan added.
President Nursultan Nazarbayev noted that the railway communication between Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan opens up new opportunities for our businesses, fostering trade and economic growth. The extending of the route will strengthen these opportunities.
“Firstly, we expect the increase in intensity of trade between our countries. First of all, it is related to practical cooperation of frontier territories of our two countries. I am confident that the interaction of Mangistau region of Kazakhstan and the Balkan velayat of Turkmenistan will be significantly expanded. Secondly, we will be able to increase exports in the direction of the Middle East, South and South-East Asia. Thirdly, we will create a convenient and cost-effective route for a dozens of countries, both in northern and southern directions. We hope that the Iranian part will be also completed and soon we will celebrate the end of the construction of the railway with further access to the Persian Gulf. In turn, we receive benefits as transit states, creating new jobs in the sphere of logistics,” the President highlighted.
The President of Kazakhstan emphasized that the new railway will give a powerful impetus to the development of the Caspian region, including the expansion of transport, industrial and social infrastructure.
“Thus, the highway is a significant contribution to the improvement of the wellbeing of the peoples of our countries. In addition to direct economic benefits, the railway is an effective way of further strengthening of good-neighborly relations,” Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
The head of state also noted that the implementation of this project is an indicator of the stability of economies of the two countries.
“It proves that we are capable of the most complicated technical, investment and organizational tasks. Today, when many countries are still recovering from the financial crisis, we have managed to bring the large-scale transport project to the logical completion,” the President of Kazakhstan added.
In conclusion, Nursultan Nazarbayev once again thanked Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov for the active support of the project.
“A special word of thanks I address everyone, who worked on the project of the railway Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan on all its stages. Your creative activity has found its embodiment in the road, connecting the states. I want to wish the peoples of our countries peace, well-being and prosperity,” the President of Kazakhstan said.
In turn, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov said that the laying of the foundation of a new economic space uniting the countries of Central Asia and the Caspian with the Black Sea region, the states of Transcaucasia, will allow to ensure the further exit to the countries of Northern Europe.
“Our project implies the connection to the transport infrastructure in the eastern direction, with further access to such economic centers of global development as China, India and the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. It means the creation of further large-scale format of cooperation from the point of view of geo-economics, as well as innovative vision of the strategic prospects for the development of our countries,” the President of Turkmenistan stressed.
Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov also thanked the builders, engineers, designers and all those who directly worked on the construction of the railway.
“The implementation of such projects makes our country economically strong, stable and confident in the future of the states, which are connected by true ties of friendship, brotherhood and good neighborliness. The decisive factor in implementation of the project was the mutual support, unity and coordinated work of the relevant departments of the two countries. Let me express my deep appreciation to the President of Kazakhstan for his support of this project, mobilizing and directing all the necessary resources for its successful implementation,” the President of Turkmenistan said.
The leaders of the two countries also launched the Kazakhstan – Turkmenistan fiber-optic communication line which opens the possibility of organization of connections through the network of JSC «Kazakhtelecom» with the networks of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Iran, as well as the possibility of transit traffic for Turkmenistan in the direction of Russia, Europe and the countries of South-East Asia.
Then, the Presidents crossed the Turkmen border and took part in the solemn opening of the Serkhetyaka station and observed the online launch of the Bereket railway junction.
