Cargo Transport - The Times Of Central Asia

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Transport & Logistics

Kazakhstan and Iran Expand Port Access to Boost Cargo Transit

Iran is ready to provide Kazakhstan with access to its port infrastructure to support cargo shipments to international markets, Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh said during talks with Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin. The meeting took place in Astana, where transport and logistics cooperation topped the agenda. The two sides discussed the development of the International North-South Transport Corridor, port infrastructure, bilateral trade, and transport links between Kazakhstan and Iran. Iranian officials said procedures had been finalized to allocate a land plot to Kazakhstan at Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas, Iran’s main southern port on the Persian Gulf. According to Sadegh, the site will be transferred to Kazakhstan once the remaining legal procedures are completed. Tehran also offered Kazakhstan the opportunity to operate at Chabahar Port, Iran’s strategic deep-water hub on the Gulf of Oman, which provides direct access to markets in South and Southeast Asia. Chabahar is one of the key nodes of the International North-South Transport Corridor, which links Russia, Iran, India, and other countries. According to Sadegh, construction of the Chabahar-Zahedan railway, which would connect Chabahar to wider rail networks used for regional cargo transport, is more than 90% complete and is expected to be launched in the coming months. Once operational, the railway is expected to integrate Chabahar into an international rail network linking the Indian Ocean, Central Asia, and Europe. Kazakhstan, in turn, said it was ready to consider offering Iran port facilities, berths, and terminals at the Caspian ports of Aktau and Kuryk to support Iranian logistics operations. The two sides also highlighted the recently signed five-party railway agreement between China, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Turkey, as well as an upcoming four-party tariff agreement between Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Iran, aimed at boosting regional trade and transit. “Strengthening cooperation is a strategic task set by our heads of state,” Zhumangarin said. “In 2025, trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Iran grew by 26.4% to $430.2 million. This confirms significant potential for further expansion, including within the framework of the roadmap to increase mutual trade to $3 billion and thanks to the free trade agreement signed between Iran and the Eurasian Economic Union.” Sadegh said her visit was focused on implementing previously reached agreements and expanding transport and logistics cooperation, which she said had gained importance amid current geopolitical changes. Officials also noted that cargo volumes along the North-South corridor rose by 12% in 2025 to reach 3.5 million tons, while railway freight traffic between Kazakhstan and Iran increased by 69%. To increase the corridor’s potential, Zhumangarin proposed developing a joint roadmap for transport infrastructure modernization, which he said could increase the route’s capacity to 20 million tons annually. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan and Iran have continued expanding economic ties despite recent tensions involving Iran. Iranian investors are moving forward with industrial projects in Kazakhstan, including Solico Group’s planned cheese production plant in the Almaty region, while Kazakh vegetable...

Cargo Transport

Kyrgyzstan Logistics Center Aims to Link China and Central Asia

Kyrgyzstan has opened a new international trade and logistics center designed to strengthen transport links between China, Central Asia and wider post-Soviet markets, as Bishkek seeks to expand its role as a regional transit hub. The new facility, Altyn Logistic, officially opened on May 28 in the city of Balykchy, at the western end of Lake Issyk-Kul. The 5.5 hectare logistics center includes warehouses, a railway line with loading and unloading infrastructure, and a large open parking area. According to officials, the complex is capable of handling up to 200 trucks per day and is expected to create around 80 jobs. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Kyrgyzstan’s Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Adylbek Kasymaliev said the country is seeking to grow its transit and logistics potential due to its strategic position along international transport corridors. “The center is located on one of the key routes of the Silk Road, and I am confident that it will effectively function as a major logistics hub linking China, Central Asian countries and CIS states,” Kasymaliev said. The choice of Balykchy is strategically important as the city already serves as a transport junction in northern Kyrgyzstan. Located at the western end of Lake Issyk-Kul, it is the final stop on the railway line from Bishkek and sits on the road corridor running from the capital toward Naryn and the Torugart Pass on the Chinese border. Balykchy is also the starting point for the Balykchy-Kochkor-Kara-Keche railway, a 186-kilometer line under construction since 2022. The route is intended to connect the existing northern rail network with Kochkor and the Kara-Keche coal deposit in Naryn Region, one of the main sources of coal for Bishkek’s thermal power plant. Authorities plan eventually to integrate this line with the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, which is currently under construction inside Kyrgyzstan. If that happens, Balykchy would become a central node in a wider rail system linking the country’s north with new east-west freight routes through Naryn, Jalal-Abad and onward to Uzbekistan. The city’s road position is also becoming more important. TCA has previously reported that Kyrgyzstan’s alternative North-South highway is designed to link Balykchy with Jalal-Abad, cutting the journey between the two cities from around 13 hours to six once fully operational. That would give Balykchy a stronger role in domestic freight movement, not only in trade with China and Kazakhstan. The new logistics center also fits into Kyrgyzstan’s wider effort to turn its limited rail network into a transit asset. Kyrgyzstan’s railway system still spans only 425 kilometers and remains split between northern and southern sections, but that freight turnover has begun recovering after years of stagnation. For Bishkek, the value of Altyn Logistic will depend on whether those larger rail and road projects are completed. For now, the center strengthens Balykchy’s role as a northern cargo hub; in the longer term, it could become a link between Kyrgyzstan’s existing rail connection to Kazakhstan and the new routes being built toward China and Uzbekistan.

Shipbuilding

Turkmenistan Launches First Locally Built Dry Cargo Vessel

Turkmenistan has launched its first dry cargo vessel built at the Balkan Shipbuilding and Repair Yard. According to the state news agency TDH, the new ship has been named Gadamly. The vessel is designed to transport dry cargo and has a carrying capacity of 6,100 tons. It can also transport up to 240 20-ton containers. The project was implemented jointly by local specialists and the South Korean company Koryo Shipbuilding Industry Technology. During the launch ceremony, the company’s head, Choi Young Wook, presented the shipyard with international certificates recognizing its engineering development and construction quality standards. Additional certification confirming compliance with international standards, including environmental requirements, was awarded by the French company Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore. State media coverage of the event focused on the project’s industrial significance as well as the traditional customs associated with launching a new vessel. According to TDH, respected elder women scattered white flour over the ship as part of the traditional blessing ritual “ak zat alnyňa ýagşy,” while an aladja, a traditional protective talisman, was tied to the ship’s wheel. A festive sadaka, or charitable offering for people in need, was also held. Turkmenistan has announced plans to continue cooperation in shipbuilding. President Serdar Berdimuhamedov said another cargo vessel, Menzil, is expected to enter service in the near future. Opened in 2018, the Balkan Shipbuilding and Repair Yard is part of the Turkmenbashi International Seaport complex. The Turkmen government reportedly invested around $1.5 billion in the port project. The shipyard is designed to build four to six vessels annually.