Issues of practical implementation of the joint project - the international transit transport corridor along the route Afghanistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey (Lapis Lazuli) were discussed at a trilateral meeting of the Presidents of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Azerbaijan on Thursday in a video conference format.

During the meeting of the head of Afghanistan, Mohammad Ashraf Gani and Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev noted that the implementation of projects to create transcontinental transit transport corridors will serve to strengthen regional and international trade and economic relations, universal sustainable development. In his speech, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov put forward a number of concrete proposals for actively establishing a long-term partnership in the field of transport Firstly, based on the Lapis Lazuli Transport Corridor Agreement, signed in Ashgabat on November 15, 2017, the President proposed the creation of a Unified Logistics Center. Secondly, it is of tremendous importance for higher In order to improve the efficiency of freight transportation; there is a modern, high-tech transport infrastructure. Aware of this, special attention must be paid to the further development of points of departure and reception of goods: seaports, railway stations and bus stations. Thirdly, the head of state proposed a single pricing policy for the transportation of goods along the route Afghanistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan and in the opposite direction. In this context, it was emphasized that the parties can discuss the issues of providing each other with various benefits - such as reducing prices (tariffs) for transit, exemption from payment for certain types of services during storage of goods. Fourth, the Turkmen leader proposed to consider the possibility of simplifying customs operations due to the introduction of the Single Window control system. Fifthly, the need was expressed to prepare an atlas of the Afghanistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan route in digital format with detailed information on the existing transport and communications infrastructure. In order to elaborate on the initiatives voiced, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov proposed in July this year, an online meeting of the leaders of the transport industry and other relevant departments of the three countries. Thanking the participants of the online meeting for attention, the Turkmen leader was convinced that the development of effective mechanisms and mutually agreed positions would expand cooperation that meets real interests of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Azerbaijan.