Lu Mei: China ready to cooperate with Azerbaijan and other countries to develop TITR

The China-Azerbaijan strategic partnership holds great prospects, Chinese Ambassador to Baku Lu Mei said at a briefing on April 28, according to Report.

"Looking to the future, the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Azerbaijan has broad and promising prospects. China is ready to work together with Azerbaijan, making every effort to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state and to promote the more active development of bilateral relations," the diplomat said.

She also noted that during Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's visit to China, both sides reached a number of agreements on jointly advancing the Belt and Road Initiative and promoting the construction of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR).

"China is ready to cooperate with Azerbaijan and other countries along this route to continuously improve customs clearance facilitation and cargo transportation efficiency, and jointly build a safe and stable direct express route across the Caspian Sea between China and Europe," she said.

She recalled that in October 2023, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced at the opening ceremony of the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation that China would undertake eight actions to promote the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative, the first of which is "accelerating the high-quality development of China-Europe freight trains and participating in the construction of the TITR."

"This closely aligns with Azerbaijan's strategy to leverage the TITR to realize its transport potential, and has been positively received by Azerbaijan. In 2024, a total of 369 trains operated along the route, representing an increase of more than 36 times year-on-year," Lu Mei emphasized.