Signing of the Memorandum will contribute to the creation and promotion of multimodal block train within the “Silk Wind” Project

Signing Ceremony_Memorandum of Understanding on Silk Wind

The solemn ceremony of signing was attended by: Mr. Ziya Mamedov, Minister of Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr, George Kvirikashvili, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Mr. Kayrat Absattarov, Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr. Binali Yildirim, Minister of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications of the Republic of Turkey, Mr. Eduard Biriucov, Secretary General of the PS IGC TRACECA. 

The signed document determines the intentions of the Parties – Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Turkey regarding the "Silk Wind" Project implementation related to the creation of the block train in multimodal transport with preliminary information exchange system between customs services and railway operators of the Project participating countries. It is assumed that the Project would provide a full complex of logistic services in the countries situated along the route directed towards the facilitation and the potential’s rise of the TRACECA transport corridor as well as the expansion of multimodal transport volumes in the region. 

The Parties affirmed their support of a common concept of the “Silk Wind” Project – the growing economic role of (West) China in the field of trade with Europe and, consequently, the defined transit functions of TRACECA.

The block train will pass from the stations Dostyk/Altynkol (the border Kazakhstan/China) through Zhezkazgan – Beyneu to the ports of Aktau and Baku (Azerbaijan), further – along the railway line Baku-Tbilisi-Kars and approach the European border through the railway tunnel  under the Bosporus. The total length of the route is 4192 km with the estimated transit time of 12 days. It is assumed that the Project would enable new infrastructure objects: a straightening railway line “Zhezkazgan-Beyneu” (Kazakhstan), International Sea Trade Port Alyat (Azerbaijan), railway line Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey) and “Marmara” railway channel line (Turkey). 

The Memorandum of Understanding on the principles of joint activity on the development of transport networks and organization of cargo transportation would determine the legal basis regarding technical implementation of the project, and become the base for signing of the Intergovernmental Agreement on the block train project. The “Silk Wind” will ensure the attraction of freight flows to the TRACECA transport corridor, simplification of administrative customs and cross-border registration procedures which will in whole enable the growth of trade-economic cooperation among the countries in the region.