Welcome Letters

I welcome the participants, guests and organisers of the International Railway Business Forum “Strategic Partnership 1520: the Caspian region”.

Thanks to the joint efforts and the contribution of the countries on coasts of the Black and Caspian Seas to the development of the international transport system, we are now on the verge of fundamental changes in the sphere of cargo transportation throughout Eurasia. The International North-South Transport Corridor will increase the efficiency of transcontinental transportation from India to Europe by several times. In the nearest future we will complete the construction of the Qazvin-Rasht-Astara railway linking Azerbaijan and Iran within the framework of this project.

The primary areas of Azerbaijan Railways are transport infrastructure construction and high-level freight services. That contributes not only to the national economy growth, but also to the enhancement of transit potential of the whole region.

I am convinced that the forum “Strategic Partnership 1520: the Caspian region” will be a landmark event for all partner countries willing to improve the quality of railway transit traffic.

I sincerely wish all participants in the forum fruitful work and open dialogues!

Javid Gurbanov
Chairman
Azerbaijan Railways CJSC