The authorities of Dagestan are planning to resume the previously operating ferry service with the seaports of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. This will significantly increase the cargo turnover with the countries of the Caspian region and carry out container transshipment of goods. This was announced at a meeting on July 11 by Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Dagestan Rizvan Gazimagomedov , TASS reports .
“The organization of ferry transportation is one of the most significant areas for the development of the Makhachkala port in the near future. The resumption of ferry traffic will also allow further development of container cargo transshipment, including at specialized terminals,” Gazimagomedov said.
According to him, in past years, the ferry service operated successfully and provided transportation of goods up to 350,000 tons per year. The main destinations were the ports of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. At present, Iranian ports are also showing great interest in organizing a ferry connection with Makhachkala.
“In order to resume the ferry service, organizational measures are required related to the coordination of international routes and the search for shippers. Engineering and technical measures are required to bring the berthing facilities into working condition, taking into account the drop in the sea level to 1.7 m over the past 10 years,” the Deputy Prime Minister added.
It should be noted that the topic of resuming the ferry service between Dagestan and Turkmenistan is regularly raised. The last time this issue was considered at an expanded meeting in the government of Dagestan in July last year.
The Makhachkala-Turkmenbashi ferry service was launched in 2002 and lasted for about a year. In 2015, two ferries arrived from Turkmenistan to Astrakhan, but then the service was suspended due to the lack of passengers.
The issue of restoring the ferry service between the ports of Makhachkala and Turkmenbashi was already discussed in May 2018 in Moscow during a meeting between the head of Rosmorrechflot Viktor Olersky and the head of the Turkmen Logistics Association Mele Bekmuradov .
In November 2018, Russian trade representative in Turkmenistan Alexander Elizarov said that the sea communication across the Caspian between Dagestan and Turkmenistan is planned to be revived in 2019, when eight ferries will be launched from Makhachkala to Turkmenbashi.
Then in October 2019, Acting Minister of Economy of Dagestan Gadzhi Sultanov announced that the ferry service between Makhachkala and Turkmenbashi was planned to open in 2020. The ferry will be able to transport up to 1 million tons of cargo per year.
In April 2021, the Minister of Transport and Roads of Dagestan , Shirukhan Gadzhimuradov , announced that Makhachkala intends to open road and rail ferry links with Turkmenistan.
Source: Chronicles of Turkmenistan