"North–South" Transport Corridor Among Key Themes of the St. Petersburg Transport Forum

From April 1–3, 2026, St. Petersburg will become the center of global logistics as the city hosts the first International Transport and Logistics Forum (ITLF). Bringing together representatives from over 60 countries, this event will serve as a primary platform for discussing the future of Eurasian transport corridors. Among them is the "North–South" international transport corridor, which holds strategic importance for Turkmenistan. The broad scope of the upcoming forum reflects the global community's high interest in creating new, reliable, and predictable transport routes. To date, the participation of more than 25 transport ministers from Asia, Africa, and the Arab world, representatives of key regional partners, and major international organizations—including the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), CIS, Organization for Cooperation between Railways, and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)—has been confirmed. A central theme of the forum will be the restructuring of global logistics under the influence of geopolitical situations. For Central Asian countries, discussions in the following areas will be of particular significance: - Development of the "North–South" Corridor: Creating a unified tariff system and common legal standards for seamless cargo transportation. - Autonomous Technologies: Implementing innovative solutions in freight transport and digitalizing customs procedures. - Unified Regulatory Framework: Establishing an "open and transparent" regulation system to eliminate border delays. Anton Kobyakov, Advisor to the President of the Russian Federation, noted that the forum would strengthen cooperation within frameworks such as BRICS, the EAEU, and the SCO, helping to create a new architecture for indivisible security in Greater Eurasia. With representatives from over 40 foreign and 250 Russian companies attending, the forum opens vast opportunities for new contracts. As Turkmenistan occupies a vital role as a transit hub, the decisions made in St. Petersburg will directly impact the utilization of the Turkmenbashi port's capacity and the development of railway routes connecting the north and south of the continent.