Turkmenistan occupies a favourable geographical position at the intersection of international transport routes running through Central Asia. It has enormous transit potential, which the government of the country with a neutral status confirmed by the UN seeks to realize with maximum efficiency.
As President Serdar Berdimuhamedov noted at an extended government meeting summarising the country’s development over the past year, Turkmenistan maintains constructive partnerships with the countries of the world and the region in the political, trade and economic spheres and also successfully cooperates with various states and international structures in the transport and logistics sector, fuel and energy complex and other areas.
This clearly confirms that Turkmenistan’s status of permanent neutrality, confirmed by the UN General Assembly resolutions, provides the country with opportunities to establish multi-vector cooperation with all countries of the Eurasian and other continents.
It is natural that the development of international cooperation in the transport sector occupies a special place in the foreign policy strategy of neutral Turkmenistan. The Programme for Development of Transport Diplomacy for 2022–2025 demonstrates Turkmenistan’s desire to make maximum use of its geographical location to strengthen its position in this area. This programme, outlining the main areas of the national transport policy, provides for the achievement of a wide range of strategic objectives and the modernization of the material and technical base of all types of transport. The important tasks of the programme include the establishment of multimodal transport and transit corridors through the effective use of the country’s existing potential.
At the 70th plenary meeting of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly, at the initiative of Turkmenistan and with the unanimous support of the UN member states, November 26 was declared World Sustainable Transport Day that became another recognition of the broad support for the initiatives of international significance put forward by neutral Turkmenistan.
On 21 December 2023, the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution “Strengthening the links between all modes of transport to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals” drafted at the initiative of neutral Turkmenistan. This resolution calls on member states to support the continued functioning and strengthening of the transport system and transport infrastructure in all relevant aspects necessary for sustainable development.
Turkmenistan’s efforts to develop transport links, achievements and initiatives in this area, as well as the country’s contribution to the development of the UN Programme for the Decade of Sustainable Transport for 2026–2035 were presented at the ministerial meeting of the Group of Friends of Sustainable Transport that was established at the initiative of Turkmenistan in Ashgabat on April 16, 2024. As was emphasized at the meeting, in accordance with the initiative of neutral Turkmenistan, a lot of work is being done to further develop international transport and transit links.
Solving the tasks set before the country’s transport complex, a dynamic increase in the rate of freight and passenger transportation is ensured, and the quality of services is improved. For example, in 2024, the growth rate of works performed by the transport complex amounted to 118.8 percent. The growth rate of freight transportation by road, rail, air, sea and river mode of transport was significantly higher than last year.
The expansion of Turkmenistan’s international economic relations demands increasing the volume of freight traffic where the role of existing and new major transport hubs of the country is growing.
The commissioning of the 109-kilometer Tejen – Mary stretch of the Ashgabat – Turkmenabad high-speed highway on 17 April 2024 was an important project in the development of the country’s transport sector. The construction of this 600-kilometer highway continued since January 2019 in three stages. The first section Ashgabat – Tejen (203 kilometers) was commissioned in October 2021. The commissioning of the Ashgabat – Turkmenabad highway will significantly increase the capacity of the motor transport system of both national and international importance in Turkmenistan and improve the quality of logistics services.
The gradual modernization of the transport sector also provides for implementation of projects in the air transport, including the reconstruction and construction of new airports and renewal of the aircraft fleet. At present, neutral Turkmenistan carries out foreign economic relations in civil aviation on the basis of more than 50 international agreements and conventions with a number of foreign countries. The country is a member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC). Turkmenistan also cooperates with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
New airports are being built and put into operation in Turkmenistan. Among them are the Ashgabat International Airport, international airports in the cities of Turkmenabat and Kerki in Lebap province. Laying of the foundation stone for a new international airport in the city of Jebel in Balkan province was an important event in the development of national civil aviation.
The country’s fleet is regularly upgraded with modern Boeing passenger aircraft and Airbus A330-200 cargo aircraft, which increases the competitiveness of the national airline in the international arena. In 2024 alone, regular passenger flights connected Ashgabat with the cities of Abu Dhabi, Kuala Lumpur, Jeddah, Ho Chi Minh and Milan.
Increasing the capacity of the country’s railway system is an equally important task in developing the transport complex of neutral Turkmenistan. Modernization in this sector is one of the priorities of Turkmenistan, which is pursuing a course for the consistent strengthening and expansion of trade and economic ties with all interested countries of the world. A number of large-scale projects of national and international level have already been implemented in the railway sector. They include national railway sections Ashgabat – Dashoguz and Zerger – Kerki, as well as sections of the international railway lines Uzen (Kazakhstan) – Bereket (Turkmenistan) – Gorgan (Iran), Kerki – Ymamnazar (Turkmenistan) – Akina (Afghanistan). The construction of these railways and their connection to the system of neighbouring states contributes to increasing the volume of transit cargo transportation.
As was reported at the international conference “International Transport and Transit Corridors: Connectivity and Development” held in Ashgabat in November 2024, Turkmenistan attracted investments worth 953.2 million US dollars to implement current projects in the transport complex, of which 77.5 percent have been utilized. In this area, Turkmenistan cooperates with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Asian Development Bank, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Export-Import Bank of China, the Islamic Development Bank, the OPEC Fund for International Development, the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development and other financial institutions.
Domestic public investments also play a great role in developing sustainable transport infrastructure in Turkmenistan. Thanks to the government investment projects, the country’s transport enterprises have now been granted loans exceeding 3.6 billion US dollars under government guarantees. In particular, the government has invested over 4.6 billion US dollars in capital investment in development projects of transport organizations.
Neutral Turkmenistan’s participation in the creation and development of regional and transnational transport corridors is an important stage in improving the international transport infrastructure. Among them are the international transport corridors North-South, East-West and the Southern Transport Corridor.
Turkmenistan plays an important role in the development of the Lapis Lazuli transit corridor, which connects Afghanistan with Turkey and Europe. In February 2018, there was launched the Serhetabat – Torghundi railway, which is part of this corridor. In September 2024, the 177-meter Serhetabat – Torghundi railway bridge was opened, and the construction of the warehouse complex of the Turgundi railway station, as well as the Turgundi – Sanabar railway section began.
Shipping is carried out through the International Sea Port of Turkmenbashi that has become an important link in the development of the national sea fleet and increasing the volume of transit cargo transportation. Development of Turkmenistan’s own shipbuilding on the basis of the shipbuilding and repair plant “Balkan” was also a significant step.
Turkmenistan’s neutral status allows the country to actively participate in various international unions and organizations, within the framework of which Ashgabat puts forward relevant initiatives to develop cooperation, including in the transport sector. For example, opportunities for development of cooperation between Turkmenistan, the European Union and Central Asia with a special emphasis on the transport sector were discussed in Brussels in January 2025.
At the same time, Turkmenistan is developing strategic cooperation with Russia, including in the trade, economic and transport spheres. The Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Turkmenistan, Ivan Volynkin, emphasized at a press conference in Ashgabat in December 2024 that “Russia remains one of Turkmenistan’s main trading partners. At present, special attention is paid to interaction between transport departments that are working to develop the eastern span of the North-South international transport corridor. Thanks to joint efforts, the volume of export, import and transit transportation by rail has increased many times, and modern technologies for managing freight flows are being introduced.”
In November 2024, the second ministerial meeting of the Group of Friends of Sustainable Transport was held in Ashgabat within the framework of the international conference and exhibition “International Transport and Transit Corridors: Connectivity and Development – 2024.” The meeting participants discussed the development of sustainable transport systems at the global and regional levels. They also emphasized the need to consolidate efforts in preparation for the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport for 2026–2035.
During the conference, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov met with Secretary General of the International Road Transport Union (IRU) Umberto de Pretto to discuss opportunities for strengthening cooperation in 2025 within the framework of Turkmenistan’s chairmanship of the Special Programme for the Economies of Central Asia (SPECA).
The interlocutors particularly emphasized the contribution of neutral Turkmenistan to the development of sustainable transport systems, logistical interconnectivity and creation of transport and communications infrastructure in accordance with global economic processes. It was also noted that six UN General Assembly resolutions on sustainable transport have been adopted over the past decade at Turkmenistan’s initiative.
Developing cooperation with the countries of the Central Asian region, Turkmenistan also proposes to effectively use the existing potential in the transport sector. In August 2024, speaking at the sixth consultative meeting of the heads of state of Central Asia, President Serdar Berdimuhamedov said that “the countries of Central Asia have all the prerequisites to become part of sustainable trunk lines of economic partnership along the North-South and East-West routes. Cooperation in transport and communications is of key importance here.”
The President expressed confidence that “today this sphere is developing rapidly, competition is increasing, and active work is underway to create new transport and transit corridors in Eurasia. Timely and effective integration of our region into these processes, using geographical, logistical and other advantages – this should be the common task of the Central Asian states in the very near future.”
The head of Turkmenistan also noted the great potential for cooperation between Central Asian countries and Afghanistan in the transport sector. “Today, our countries are doing a lot to expand the transport and communications infrastructure in the Afghan direction,” the President emphasized. The head of state called the Central Asia – Caspian – Black Sea corridor another important route, expressing confidence that by combining joint efforts it will be possible to implement large-scale transport projects along this route.
At present, neutral Turkmenistan successfully develops transport and communication links with many countries of the world and international organizations and implements large-scale projects in this area. Multilateral transport diplomacy contributes to the dynamic development of the leading sectors of the country’s economy, increases the country’s export-import potential and strengthens the international reputation of the Turkmen state.