On April 19, the XXXVIII meeting of the Council of Heads and Responsible Representatives of Railway Transport Organizations of the member states of the Railway Cooperation Organization, which was held in the capital from April 15 to 19, at the Yyldyz Hotel, concluded its work. As previously reported, this representative forum was attended by specialists from more than 20 CIS member states, including heads of railways and other relevant institutions of Turkmenistan.

According to the agenda, during the five days, the participants of the assembly will review the work done in 2023 by the groups of the Railway Cooperation Organization on freight transport, passenger transport, infrastructure and railway infrastructure, the organization's finance and settlement, as well as the standing working groups on coding and informatics. they discussed and approved the results, work plans of the composition, and other issues.

The development of the railway industry, which plays a key role in long-distance cargo transportation, is one of the priority areas in Turkmenistan, which aims to strengthen trade and economic relations with all interested partner countries. Taking into account the convenient geographical location of the country, the policy implemented by the President to expand international cooperation in the field of transport directly contributes to the work in this field. The "Program for the Development of Transport Diplomacy of Turkmenistan for 2022-2025" envisages strategic directions related to the comprehensive modernization of the material and technical base of all types of transport, the creation of modern specialized infrastructure, and the further strengthening of the position of the transit transport corridors of Turkmenistan as a regional center. In this regard, it was said that the initiatives of the President of the Turkmen people, who worthily implement the creative policy initiated by the National Leader of the Turkmen people, have wide support.

It was noted that the country participates in more than 10 international conventions on transport, and that it took the initiative to hold the first global conference on sustainable transport system. At the initiative of Turkmenistan, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted relevant resolutions aimed at the development of multilateral transport cooperation in different years. Last year, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring November 26 as "World Sustainable Transport Day".

Being a member of the Railway Cooperation Organization since 1994, Turkmenistan plays an important role in expanding the routes of international transit cargo transportation based on the harmonious development of railway transport infrastructure at the national level and the implementation of a coordinated transport policy at the regional level. Within the framework of the CIS, our country has established cooperation on information technologies, scientific and technical, ecological issues. In this regard, it was noted that the organization fully supports the efforts to develop the national transport infrastructure of Turkmenistan. This contributes to a significant increase in the transit capacity of the railway corridor system in the central Asian climate.

Expanding bilateral relations within the framework of the organization, including the development of the contractual and legal basis of cooperation, were among the main issues discussed. The parties discussed the possibilities of holding the main meetings of the CIS, increasing the cargo transportation and passenger transportation capacity of the country along the existing and newly opened routes, in particular, the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran transnational railway crossing.

As it is known, in ancient times, Turkmenistan was considered as the intersection of seven roads, which crossed the most important trade routes of the region. In the new historical period, our country strives to realize its potential in the transport sector in order to establish mutually advantageous trade and economic relations for the prosperity of all countries and peoples of the Eurasian climate. The national railway industry, which has made great progress in recent years, has entered a new stage of development and has given a strong impetus to the development of the regions of our country.

It was noted that the railway industry has very high demands. Those requirements apply to different areas of his work. This includes improving the efficiency of management, introducing advanced management principles, constantly updating the resource base, effectively using railway infrastructure, providing high-quality services and safety to passengers, and creating comfortable conditions for employees.

As mentioned, the development of modern transport corridors of the country along the East-West and North-South directions is one of the important tasks. The Ashgabat - Turkmenabat high-speed highway, which is 600 kilometers long, is of great importance in the successful implementation of this task. In this regard, the foreign guests who participated in the forum expressed their gratitude to the Turkmen leader for the opportunity to participate in the opening ceremony of the Tejen-Mary section of the Ashgabat-Turkmenabat high-speed highway, noting that the construction of this highway is another proof of the revival of the ancient Great Silk Road in a modern form.

As you know, the Ashgabat forum also coincides with the 30th anniversary of Turkmendemiryólary's membership in the Railway Cooperation Organization. On the occasion of the glorious day, M.Antonovich, the chairman of the Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, presented a special commemorative badge to the "Turkmendemiryollary" agency.

During the meeting, the delegations summed up the work done in 2023 by the working groups on the infrastructure and the structure of the railway movement, the mutual settlement procedure between the railways, the debt settlement mechanism and other areas.

Within the framework of the forum, meetings were held between the railway authorities of the country and the CIS member states, several bilateral documents and the corresponding Memorandum were signed. Also, based on the results of the meeting, the Ashgabat Declaration aimed at strengthening effective cooperation with the member countries of the organization was adopted.

The participants expressed their sincere gratitude to the President of Turkmenistan for the hospitality shown in the Turkmen land and for the creation of favorable conditions for the effective functioning of the forum, and emphasized that this meeting will help to further strengthen mutual understanding and cooperation.

The participants of the XXXVIII meeting of the conference of heads and responsible representatives of railway transport agencies of the member states of the Organization of Railway Cooperation accepted the Address of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov.