Azerbaijan, China explore freight transport cooperation

The inaugural Azerbaijan-China International Road Transport Negotiation Meeting between the Azerbaijan Land Transport Agency (AYNA) and the Transport Services Department of the Ministry of Transport of China was held in Urumqi, China, Report informs.

The meeting, involving representatives of Azerbaijani carriers and the Azerbaijan International Road Carriers Association (ABADA), explored the current state and development of international road freight transportation between the two countries and enhancing cooperation.

During the meeting, the sides reached an agreement on exchanging additional permit forms for international freight transport. According to the agreement, an extra 5,000 permits were allocated for bilateral and transit transportation, while 2,500 permits were allocated for transportation to and from third countries for 2026.

As a result, the total quota of exchanged permits for international freight transport this year has increased by 5 times, with both sides expressing confidence that carrier demand will be fully met in 2026 and 2027.

Additionally, the Azerbaijani delegation met with officials of the Khorgos border checkpoint, familiarizing themselves with activities of logistics centers operating in the Khorgos Free Trade Zone.

The discussions explored fostering cooperation between the national carriers and logistics centers, agreeing on building direct links.

The visit also included the China-Azerbaijan Road Transport Enterprise Representatives Symposium gathering the relevant Chinese authorities, international road transport associations, as well as Azerbaijani and Chinese carriers, addressing challenges during international freight transport, possible solutions, and ways to establish direct connections between carriers.