Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and China have signed an agreement on the establishment of an intermodal cargo terminal in the Port of Baku in Alat on the sidelines of the 29th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29).
The agreement was signed on November 12.
According to the press release issued by Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, which is the national railway company of Kazakhstan, the new terminal will include a multi-purpose cargo yard, a 5,000-square-meter indoor warehouse complex, and a container yard with a capacity of over 1,000 containers.
As per media, this initiative was made possible through Azerbaijan’s provision of a land plot, operating berths, and terminal capacities at the Port of Baku in Alat.
The Port of Baku plays a significant role in connecting Europe and Asia and is a prime transport and logistics hub of Eurasia.
According to the official website of the Port of Baku, it is noted that being an important segment of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, the Port of Baku with its modern operating system provides prompt cargo services, and has facilities designed for all types of cargo.
In 2019, for the first time among the countries of the Caspian region, the Port of Baku was awarded the “Eco Ports” (Green Port) certificate of the European Sea Ports Organization, and in 2021 it successfully passed re-certification. In addition, in 2022, it joined the UN Global Compact. Thus, the strategic activity of the port is aimed to contribute to 11 of
the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, the official website of the Port of Baku noted.
The project aims to boost container train traffic on the China-Europe-China route via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, helping to cut delivery times, lower transportation costs, and reduce trans-shipment time.