By Trend

Due to the benefits the Lithuanian transport and logistics infrastructure can offer, Lithuania could become a cargo transit gateway for Turkmenistan’s business to Europe, the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Lithuania told Trend.

According to the ministry, Lithuania and Turkmenistan have room for closer cooperation in transport and logistics.

“Due to its favorable geographical position, Lithuania has easy and rapid access to three important markets: the Baltic Sea Region, the European Union (EU), and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Also, Lithuania offers a well-functioning multimodal transport system of railway, maritime, road, and air transport connections,” the ministry noted.

An interoperable transport network of two railway gauges – broad-gauge (1520 millimeters) and standard-gauge (1435 millimeters), and 30 min for border crossing formalities at the EU and CIS border with simplified administrative procedures of railway cargo documentation are our competitive advantages.

In addition, railway transport in Lithuania provides efficient long-distance cargo services. Two multimodal terminals in the biggest Lithuanian cities of Vilnius and Kaunas are the hubs for road and railway transport interoperability, which provide free capacities for cargo reloading/uploading for further distribution in the region.

“Lithuania can perfectly serve as a reliable transit country for the Turkmen cargo transported to/from Scandinavia, and the JSC Lithuanian Railways is able to ensure the high-quality maintenance and transportation of Turkmen cargo flows using the “Viking Train” and TRACECA corridors,” the ministry stressed.

The ministry also added that in the broader context of the EU Green Deal policy, semi-trailer transportation by Lithuanian rail opens up additional opportunities to expand sustainable and innovative economic activities.

“Warehousing services in the logistics centers have more than nine million square foot facilities. They can fully satisfy the purpose of the Turkmen’s cargo consolidation and deconsolidation for further transportation by railway to Western Europe or to Asia or by the fast-developing international road transport sector in the region,” the message said.

Moreover, Lithuanian road transport companies have over 50,000 vehicles truck fleet exporting their transportation services to the European Union and CIS markets.

“We are able to offer efficient door-to-door or last-mile solutions by the road transport and reach any place in Europe in just three days. It perfectly fits with the e-commerce shipment philosophy – the parcel can be delivered to the customer in 72 hours,” the ministry said.

Furthermore, the ministry said that free economic zones (FEZ) or industrial centers in Lithuania also offer great possibilities for investors and companies from Turkmenistan willing to establish their hubs as the gateways for their products to the EU and CIS markets.

It is reported that seven FEZs located in Lithuania are prepared for business use and have the entire necessary physical (electricity, gas, sewerage, roads, etc.) and legal infrastructure, support service, and tax incentives.

“Considering the fact, that more than 90 percent of Eurasian cargo is shipped by sea, we offer Turkmenistan’s companies to use the Port of Klaipeda and a well-functioning multimodal transport system as the transit or cargo consolidation and deconsolidation hub to the Northern and Eastern Europe region,” the ministry emphasized.

“Due to the benefits the Lithuanian transport and logistics infrastructure can offer, Lithuania could become a cargo transit gateway for Turkmenistan’s business to Europe. We will work harder to actualize this potential cooperation with Turkmenistan and other countries in the region,” the ministry summed up.