The Ministry of Transport and Communications of Lithuania proposed to Turkmenistan to organize a transport corridor between the countries. The ministry is confident that Lithuania can offer ideal conditions for cargo from Turkmenistan to reach Europe. This is reported on the RailFreight website .
Apparently, Lithuania is trying to compensate for its position in the transport chain after the problems with China and Belarus that arose earlier this year, and to find new partners.
In August, it was reported that China was interrupting rail transit of its goods through Lithuania. Tension in relations between the countries began due to the fact that in July the Lithuanian government allowed the Taiwan administration to establish a representative office in Lithuania, to which China protested and recalled its ambassador and demanded that the Lithuanian ambassador be recalled from the PRC.
The reduction in the transportation of goods from Belarus is associated with the introduction of EU sanctions against the Belarusian government. In addition, relations with the Belarusian government deteriorated after Lithuania did not recognize the last presidential elections in Belarus and granted political asylum to opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya .
Among other regions, Lithuania is exploring the possibilities of attracting freight flows from Central Asia and, in particular, from Turkmenistan.
Among the possible routes Turkmenistan-Lithuania, the publication notes several options:
• across the Caspian Sea from Turkmenistan to Russia and further north through Belarus;
• by rail to the north through Kazakhstan and then again through Russia and Belarus;
• through the Caspian, and then through Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Baltic Sea, Ukraine and Belarus.
In addition to creating a corridor, Lithuania is trying to attract investment from Turkmenistan. The Ministry of Transport noted that free economic zones (FEZ) or industrial centers in Lithuania also offer great opportunities for investors and companies from Turkmenistan wishing to create their centers as gateways for their products to the EU and CIS markets.
Source: Chronicles of Turkmenistan