President: Azerbaijan expected to handle 25 million tons of cargo at its port within 5 or 6 years

Azerbaijan's target was to have a handling capacity of 15 million tons at its trade sea port, and that would have been enough for decades. But now the country expects 25 million tons within probably 5 or 6 years, President Ilham Aliyev said in an interview with China's CGTN (China Global Television Network) in Davos, Report informs.

The president stressed that Azerbaijan is financing the expansion of its trade sea port and railroad infrastructure.

"We know that connectivity projects in Central Asia are largely financed by the Chinese government. Another route toward the Caspian - that means toward Azerbaijan - so we must be absolutely prepared for that. I am sure that “One Belt, One Road” initiative of President Xi Jinping will create additional opportunities for all countries. And again, it is connectivity, a business opportunity, and it is stability and security, because we all become interdependent. We have important infrastructure projects, which unite us. This is a good environment for addressing different types of issues between countries on bilateral and multilateral tracks," President Ilham Aliyev said.

Ilham Aliyev stressed that Azerbaijan’s position on the Middle Corridor is not just to be a transit country and to get more fees from transit:

"Our target is to build facilities on the route in Azerbaijan and help the private sector take advantage of that. Of course, since that panel you referred to, a lot has happened in this area, including in the relationship between China and Azerbaijan. As I already said, it’s about a strategic partnership, but at the same time, the infrastructure for the Middle Corridor’s Azerbaijani segment was upgraded. At the moment, we see that the already upgraded infrastructure will not be enough in the coming 3-5 years."