In the context of the global transformation of world economic relations, the task of diversifying export-import directions, including the development of new transport routes, is becoming more relevant for both Russia and Kazakhstan.
This was written in the article “The International transport route “North — South” as a promising driver of economic development of Russia and Kazakhstan” in the magazine “The Eurasian” Russian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Alexey Borodavkin.
According to him, it is important to objectively assess the potential of the international transport corridor “North —South”, including passing through both the Kazakh part of the Caspian Sea and the eastern land branch.
“This grandiose project deserves the closest attention and is capable of bringing significant strategic and economic dividends to the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan. Within the framework of the development of the North—South MTC, we are talking about cargo flows from Russia to the south and in the opposite direction going not by a circular route through the Suez Canal, but directly through the Caspian region,” the ambassador said.
He stressed that not only Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Iran are expected to participate in this project, but also the dynamically developing countries of South Asia, primarily India, as well as the countries of the Persian Gulf.
The Ambassador considers the project attractive not only from an investment point of view, but also in terms of the future influx of qualified personnel, as well as advanced technologies in digitalization and modernization of logistics infrastructure in the Caspian Sea.
“According to some expert estimates, in the medium term, the capacity of the North—South MTK through Kazakhstan will reach 6 million tons per year,” Borodavkin said.
He separately focused on the competitive advantage of cargo transportation in the Kazakh part of the North—South MTK, which is expressed in the absence of customs obstacles due to the membership of Russia and Kazakhstan in the Eurasian Economic Union.
“Moreover, this does not exhaust the potential of the North—South ITC, which is able to give the economies of all its participants a powerful impetus to progressive development. In the future, there will be a natural connection of the transport corridor with the Northern Sea Route through an extensive network of Kazakh and Russian railways and the Yenisei River. Thus, a megaproject is emerging that connects the entire Asian continent — South and Central Asia, the Middle East and Siberia with access to the Arctic Ocean,” the ambassador concluded.
A source: https://e-cis.info/news/566/110740/
