Kazakhstan Targets 10 Million Ton Cargo Turnover on TITR, Hones Focus on Synchronous Cooperation with Georgia

Kazakhstan's Prime Minister, Alikhan Smailov, has revealed an ambitious plan to boost the cargo turnover on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) to 10 million tons. As he highlighted, synchronous cooperation with Georgia is deemed crucial to achieving this target. The statement came during a briefing following his meeting with the Georgian Prime Minister, Irakli Gharibashvili.

Smailov stressed that both nations are actively pursuing this common objective and their positions are in harmony. He also acknowledged the significant rise in cargo turnover rate on the TITR, marking a positive trend in their shared agenda.

Throughout the negotiations, a shared vision emerged. Both Kazakhstan and Georgia can play a vital role as transport conduits between Europe and Asia, and the TITR was agreed upon as a central pillar of this vision.

"Last year, the cargo turnover on this route witnessed a two-fold increase, and container shipments rose by 30%. The positive trend continues to this day. In line with this, we aim to scale up the cargo turnover to 10 million tons over the medium term," stated Smailov.

He further elaborated on the measures being taken to actualize this target. The nations are synchronously implementing a joint guide aimed at developing the corridor from 2022 to 2027, and are actively working to dismantle existing barriers.

Smailov also shared that Kazakhstan is prepared to utilize the Caspian and Black Sea basins as routes to broaden its collaboration with Georgia. He stressed the importance of leveraging the port infrastructures of both nations to amplify their cooperation within this context.