text: Azerbaijan highly appreciates Turkmenistan's role in restoration of "Great Silk Road" | SEA-NEWS
  Azerbaijan highly appreciates Turkmenistan's role in restoration of "Great Silk Road"
  Turkmenistan is ready for substantive negotiations on all aspects of cooperation and use of the port of Turkmenbashi, with countries in the region, which have no path to the sea, stated President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, speaking May 2 at the international forum ""The Great Silk Road" – to new frontiers of development", which takes place in Avaza, Trend's correspondent reported from the event.
  The head of state noted that the construction of the Turkmenbashi international seaport had become an important component of the development of Turkmenistan's Navy.
  The new port covers an area of about 152 hectares and includes ferry, passenger and cargo terminals.
  The total length of berths, which can simultaneously serve 17 ships, is more than 1800 meters.
  The total capacity of the new port is 17 million tons of cargo excluding oil products.
  Shipbuilding and ship repair factory "Balkan" was built on the territory of the port. This facility, which has the capacity to process 12,000 tons of steel per year, as well as construction of 4 ships and repair of 20 vessels.
  The Turkmen president said the new sea port is to become the most important link in the formation of a modern system of sea transportation, creating the most favorable conditions for access to the Black Sea region, countries of Europe, the Middle East, South Asia and the Asia-Pacific region, allowing for significant reduction of the distance and time of large-scale cargo traffic.
  With the optimization of transport flows in the Eurasian space, interregional and intercontinental relations are gaining a new strategic perspective.