President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov noted at a video conference session of the Cabinet of Ministers on Thursday that the development of transport and communications is one of the strategic priorities of the state policy.
“At the heart of the national transport strategy is the idea of reviving the Great Silk Road, which for centuries passed through the territory of Central Asia,” the President Berdimuhamedov said during the meeting. "In modern conditions, this transcontinental route is designed to contribute to the realization of the enormous economic potential of Turkmenistan and other countries of the region."
During the meeting, Bayramgeldi Ovezov, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers overseeing the Industrial and Communication Complex, briefed on measures taken to modernize all types of transports, in particular, the railway transport and to improve the freight services.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov focused on the activities of the Türkmendemirýollary agency, the state railway company, emphasized the need to modernize and further strengthen the material and technical base of this sphere, and gave the Deputy Prime Minister a number of specific instructions.
The Head of State also said Turkmenistan actively supports the development of the Lapis Lazuli international transport and transit corridor, passing through the territory of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, adding that the corridor will contribute to strengthening productive cooperation in a wide geo-economic area, including the regions of Central and South Asia, the Caspian and Black Sea basins, and the Mediterranean.
In February 2018, Turkmenistan was elected to the Bureau of the Inland Transport Committee of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) for the period 2019-2020.
