In order to enhance regional transport and logistics cooperation, Turkey has established positive relations with Bulgaria, Hungary and Serbia.
The representatives from the four countries made agreements at the first meeting of the Quadrilateral Ministerial Coordination Council to implement projects to enhance the railroads between the nations. Roads and transport are the two things that unite countries in Europe and tourists are able to visit other countries in and around Europe by cars and trains. Therefore, a smooth relation with the neighboring countries is a must. In a press release, the transport and Infrastructure minister of Turkey, Adil Karaismailoglu said that, “We are taking a new step every day in the development of the Middle Corridor, which has become a centre of attraction.” The middle corridor is the Trans-Caspian route that serves the purpose of linking China with Turkey and Europe.
This is the actual route using the middle corridor that will connect Turkey with China
The cooperation between the four nations, according to the Turkish minister, will greatly help to enhance this economic corridor. The minister stressed upon the fact that the trade volumes between the two countries has increased a lot and that signifies the geographical importance of their countries. According to the Turkish minister, who was referring to the 8,693-kilometer track that connects Istanbul with the Chinese city of Xi’an, a freight train traveling from China to Turkey only needs around 12 days to complete the journey. In contrast to the current volume of roughly 38 million tonnes, the council’s first stated goal is to have over 440 million tonnes of train traffic passing through the Middle Corridor in 30 years. In contrast to the current volume of roughly 38 million tonnes, the council’s first stated goal is to have over 440 million tonnes of train traffic passing through the Middle Corridor in 30 years.
This cooperation would be great for all the countries involved since the trade channels will increase
This is a great move by Turkey as it would smoothen the relations with other countries and the aim to increase the trade volumes between the countries. But it’s not only a Turkish project. The railroad route is of equal relevance to Europe. As a result, an investment strategy was agreed upon by the EU and Turkey. The portion from Kapikule near the Bulgarian border to Cerkezkoy is supported by a 25 million euro grant from the EU. The Turkish government is paying 278 million for the Cerkezkoy-Halkali segment that connects to Istanbul. It remains to be seen how quickly this move can bring results to the countries.
