International Seaport was opened on Turkmen coast of Caspian Sea with the participation of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.This big infrastructural projects has strategic importance for all countries of Central Asia and Caspian basin as its realization brings out our states to new level of relations supporting their active integration into international system of economic relations and improvement of the role of Turkmenistan as important centre of transit communications.
The history itself makes as responsible for the development of partnership, which will be useful not only to the peoples of our countries but also will support sustainable development, stability, security and progress in Eurasian space, Turkmen leader who initiated the revival of the Silk Road notes.
Turkmenistan, same as the centuries ago, is the heart of this ancient route.Today, our country becomes important transport hub of the region and turns into large logistic centre owing to its advantageous geographic location and constructive foreign policy of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov who makes relevant proposals on cooperation with foreign countries and takes steadfast measures for their practical implementation.
Transport infrastructure meeting international standards is created, new roads and transnational railways, railway stations, airports are built, modern ships are procured, railway and automobile bridges connecting not only the regions inside the country but also neighbouring states are erected for this.
Maritime navigation plays one of the key roles in the development of transport services.According to the assignment of the Head of the State, new tankers and ferryboats are purchased and port facilities are modernized.
New sea gates of Turkmenistan are not only to satisfy growing needs of our country in maritime communications but also to open wide opportunities for the intensification of cargo traffic in Eurasian space.
Analysis of the most important trends in the world trade shows that many of them support the development of Caspian ports and one of the most strengthening trends is the growth of container shipment of cargos.
Stable growth of the GDP of Turkmenistan and export supply of domestic production, expansion of their geography as well as potential of actively developing economies of neighbouring states of Central Asia and Caspian region become the main stimulator enhancing the demand in port services both in our country and in entire region.
Advanced infrastructure of Turkmenbashi International Seaport will allow to satisfy this demand with quality proposal and high-class service.With the time, its operation will lead to strategic changes in logistic chains of continental cargo transportation and Turkmen transit terminals will be important link of theses chains as the most optimal one for the shortest and the most advantageous routes.
Celebration events in national tradition were expanded on the way to new port: yurta were built, folk ensembles performed, samples of decorative and applied art, original rites and rituals were demonstrated.
Artisans were working in improvised workshops, skilful cooks were making food near smoking stoves and cauldrons.Atmosphere of high emotional rise was reigning in the place of event where President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov arrived.
The girls presented the flowers to Turkmen leader.The Speaker of the Mejlis, Deputy Chairmen of the Cabinet of Ministers, leaders of ministries and departments, military and law enforcement agencies, high-rank representatives of foreign delegations and foreign ambassadors, representatives of local and foreign mass media were among the participants.
Everybody waited impatiently for coming event that is to be the brightest page of new history of the country.Popular singers and art ensemble performed dance and song composition to the participants; the children greeted the Head of the State with the poems.
At symbolical arch, the Head of the State cut the ribbon opening International Seaport.Special inspiration was reigning at the territory of the port where large-scale theatre performance with participation of famous singers and ensemble has been expanded.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov went along the quay looking around white-marble buildings, engineering and technical facilities of the port and everywhere Turkmen leader was greeted with songs, dances and bright performances.
From one side on the background of the mountains, the port looks like neat and respectable town shining with tinted windows and gilt finishing of original architecture.From the sea side, industrial landscape view with powerful console constructions of port cranes was opening on the background of blue sky.
The territory of the port is more than 1,358,500 square meters.Colossal work has been performed to extract 10 million cubic meters of soil and to deepen the sea bottom to provide the navigation of the ships to the berth.
Overall length of 20 meters wide quay wall is 3,600 meters what allows simultaneous mooring, cast off and loading of several passenger and cargo vessels.Big exposition was expanded at one of the berths where dutar ensemble was playing on both sides of improvised amphitheatre.
One part of the exhibition was dedicated to folk applied art of Turkmens, traditions of national culture and living while another to modern industry of the country including its export component.
Wide variety of textile, oil and gas, chemical and processing industry production like different items made of local polypropylene, which is used today in different spheres of Turkmen industry, was demonstrated there.
The exhibition demonstrated the potential of Turkmenistan as the key link of reviving Silk Road with original interchange of the epochs, of the past and the present, of heritage and innovations.
The territory of our country historically was economic, cultural and commercial intersection serving for thousands of years as the bridge of friendship and cooperation.Nowadays, Turkmenistan pays utmost attention to realization of its transit and transport potential as important factor supporting successful solution of the objectives on increment of the rates of country’s industrialization, diversification of the economy, development of fruitful international cooperation in these spheres.
Network of modern transport East West and North South communications including sea, air and land transportation opening wide perspectives for activation of beneficial regional and continental trade and economic relations in Eurasia is formed up steadily for this purpose.
New Turkmenbashi seaport with advanced technical equipment makes favourable conditions for entry of European states to commodity and material markets of Near and Middle East and to the states of Indian Ocean basin allowing considerably reducing the distance and time of big cargo traffic.
Having looked around the exposition followed by performance of art masters, the Head of the State went inside the building for the ceremony where multimedia show was demonstrated to the President of Turkmenistan and all participants.
The plot of the video demonstrated on panoramic screen with special effects and laser technology was based on the book of the Head of the State “Turkmenistan is the Heart of the Great Silk Road”.
Spectators watched picturesque landscapes of Turkmen nature, its various places where historical route used to run endless desert spaces, fertile valleys and sea coast.The movie also briefly characterised the main directions of the development of transport system of our country, expansion of transit potential and formation of the network of international transport corridors.
The video on the features of Turkmenbashi Seaport presenting the work of all terminals of the port, which is to be defining factor for the development of not only transport system of the country but for entire national economy, was demonstrated.
New complex includes ferry, passenger and container terminals as well as the shipyard.Besides the construction of berth structures, numerous land infrastructure facilities including transport provision like roads with flyover intersections with total length of 3.9 kilometres and railways with total length of 30 kilometres have been built there.
With regards to technical provision of new seaport, it equipped with modern programme hardware complexes, which are necessary for safety and efficiency of navigation and cargo transportation as well as for environment protection, which is paid with special attention by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.
Traffic control inside the harbour, loading and offloading in all parts of the terminal are carried out using automatic systems and electronic technologies in real time mode.Having watched the movie, the President went to “Balkan” Shipyard.
This fundamentally new production in national economy of the country lay the base for the development of national shipbuilding.In addition to the assembly of the ships, it will repair tankers, bulk carriers and tugboats.
The Head of the State was welcomed with music and songs at the above-mentioned facility.Shipyard operator introduced the work of new facility and its technology lines to President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.
The shipyard, which capacity allows processing 10 thousand tons of steel per year, is designed for construction of 4 6 vessels for this time with application of modern technologies and automatic systems meeting international standards.
Moreover, this production facility is able to service and repair 20 30 ships including the processing of 2 thousand tons of steel per year.It has ship moving system with cargo capacity of 10,000 tons as well as port wheel crane with 80 tons lifting capacity, rail cranes with 40, 60 and 80 tons lifting capacity.
Shipbuilding is high technological and complicated process combining numerous professions and qualified personnel.In general, 1160 work occupancies were created at Balkan Shipyard.After, the Head of the State was requested to give start to construction of new ship.
The President pushed special button and the process of cutting of metal sheet starts.Meanwhile, the monitors demonstrate how container, bulk cargo and general cargo terminals are opened one after another in real time mode.
After cutting and formation of steel sheet according to project configuration, the operator asked the Head of the State to leave memory entry on the detail of future ship.
President of Turkmenistan left his sign on touchpad monitor and special laser equipment transfer it to the metal sheet.All the process was demonstrated on the screen.From the shipyard, the Head of the State went to passenger terminal.
On his way, the Head of the State looked around container, bulk and general cargo terminals.The specialists accompanying the Head of the State told about the capabilities of International Seaport in reception, processing, storage and shipment of different cargos.
Container terminal with average annual capacity of 400,000 TEU occupies 249,000 square meters.This strategic facility will bring Turkmenistan to the leading positions in export and import logistic system of the region.
Multimodal fleet of equipment will provide the complex of services for storage and combined processing of container cargos arrived by air, roads and railways providing their loading to sea transport and back.
For example, railway offloading bay is designated for 450 railway carriages it is able to support of simultaneous loading and offloading all day long.The length of the quay wall of container terminal is 480 meters what allows loading and offloading of several ships at the same time with total payload of 5,000 tons.
The port has modern equipment and lifting and transporting mechanisms for cargo processing.Container terminal has ship-to-shore leaders with 25 TEU per hour production capacity.In other word, each of theses cranes is able to offload the vessel with 300 containers for 12 hours. 50 TEU per day Container Freight Station is under construction in the terminal.
It functions includes the grouping of cargo according to the destination.The container terminal is equipped with satellite control system with displaying of all current information on the monitors of operators and designed in accordance with CTQI standard (Container Terminal Quality Indicator).
Last few years, rapid growth of container shipment was observed in the world what naturally caused the growth of number of container terminals.Introduction of CT QI allowed making single system of quality control in this type of services.
Bulk cargo terminal is designated for shipment of various resources materials, oil and gas production, clinker, iron ore, bauxite, aluminium, coal, forage, fertilizers as well as grain, sugar, salt, etc.
Warehouses and bunkers were built for storage of these materials.General cargo terminal is one of the biggest facilities in the port.Its throughput capacity s 4 million tons per year.
It is designed for reception and dispatch of various construction materials, metal, steel, timber, vehicles, equipment, etc.several vessels with total payload of 5,000 tons are able to be loaded and offloaded simultaneously at tis berth.
Powerful rail and mobile port cranes are designated for cargo operations.With regards to specialized terminal for storage and shipment of polypropylene with 120,000 tons per year capacity, this production is on the leading position among the oil products made by Turkmenbashi Refinery Complex.
It is on high demand in the world markets, which is indicated by numerous contracts registered at the State Commodity and Raw Material Exchange.The geography of consumers of Turkmen polypropylene is quite wide including Japan, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Other countries.
Considerable part of export is shipped by the sea.Subjects of perspective development of the infrastructure of the main sea gates of the country and national fleet are precisely coordinated and linked with the plans of oil, gas and industrial complexes, railway transport and other branches of the economy, city administration of seaside city all entities performing their activity in Caspian region.
New port will give additional strong impulse to economic progress of turkmensitan, to the development of industrial and transport infrastructure, creation of new working places as well as will support the attraction of new investments.
Large perspectives are opened for the development of Avaza National tourist zone and in the growth of number of people coming to our country from other states for seaside holidays.
It is remarkable that each terminal of the port has bio treatment equipment for protection of the environment of Caspian Sea.In general, the entire project was designed in accordance with Green Port international standard.
The soil, extracted during the construction of new marine harbour, was used for making of artificial island of 170 hectares next to the city of Turkmenbashi, which became the nesting and hibernation place of flamingos, swans, ducks, geese, pelicans and other birds.
Such ecological approach to organization of high technology production was appreciated by international community of experts and ecologists as an exemplary one.Together with the construction of the port, big work for training of personnel and operators in profile educational institutes of Turkmenistan and foreign states has been carried out.
Music and dance performance of art ensembles was expanded in front of the passenger terminal.After, the President entered the building of passenger terminal where exhibition dedicated to transport and communication sector was expanded on that day.
The exposition in the form of video stands represented various international organizations as well as profile structures of Central Asian and Caspian States.General idea of these video presentations is that diversification of transport routes, inclusion of greater number of states and regions to the geography of these routes will realistically support further development of interstate relations, understanding and convergence of the countries and people.
It is obvious that use of capabilities of big international and regional organizations in the development of multidimensional and multilateral cooperation will be considerably expanded after opening of new port in Turkmenbashi.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov looked around the facilities of passenger terminal and conditions made for travellers and personnel with keen attention.The building of passenger terminal is designed for 600 people.
Passport control service and other necessary procedures are arranged on modern level.It has a hotel, shopping and entertainment centres.In general, automobile and passenger ferry terminal occupies 320, 000 square meters.
Two ferryboats are able to berth there simultaneously.It is capable of servicing of 300,000 passengers and 75,000 trailers per year.Undoubtedly, new port will support the growth of tourist flows to Turkmen resort Avaza from neighbouring Caspian states first of all.
The guests will be welcomed by fashionable hotels and comfortable cottages with first-class service as well as super modern sport facilities and developed recreation infrastructure.At present, according to local specialists and findings of competent international experts, Turkmen coast of Caspian Sea is the most environmentally friendly, which is explained by steadfast and targeted work in this field.
Large-scale project of Avaza National tourist zone, which is to involve recreational potential of the region and to turn it into big international tourist centre, is a bright evidence of this.
Mandatory compliance of all facilities built in the region to environmental requirements is one of the main provisions of he project.Leaving the passenger terminal, the Head of the State made memorial entry in the Book of Honoured Guests.
Having expressed the confidence that new prot would give additional strong impulse to economic progress of Turkmenistan, to development of industrial and transport infrastructure of the region and to creation of new working places as well as would support the attraction of big investments, the Head of the State wished everybody great success in work and left the place of event.
Construction of international seaport became visual evidence of economic power of the country, its constructive foreign policy aimed at long-term, beneficial cooperation for the universal peace and progress.
Having accomplished working trip to Balkan Velayat, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov left Turkmenbashi International Airport for Ashgabat.