Turkey, Russia launch Samsun-Caucasus rail-ferry link

Ankara, February 19 (AzerTAc). Samsun city of Turkey has hosted the launch ceremony of the Samsun-Caucasus rail-ferry link. The ceremony was attended by Turkey`s Minister of Transport Binali Yildirim and his Russian counterpart Mikhail Sokolov. Delivering a speech in the event, Russian minister said that the new transport corridors were of great importance for strengthening trade relations with Turkey and other countries of the region. Main part of the trade turnover that will reach $100 bln in future will be provided by this railway. In turn Binali Yildirim stressed that the railway that cost $7 mln would be a significant contribution to the TRASECA, as well as the corridor connecting Middle Asia and Anadolu. The agreement establishing a rail-ferry link between the port of Caucasus in south Russia and the Turkish Black Sea port of Samsun was signed in May 2010. “The ferry has been operated since December 2010 in a test mode. Its freight capacity last year alone increased threefold to over 40,000 tons,” Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov said at the launch ceremony. The ferry service`s capacity is expected to grow to 100,000 tons a year by the start of next year, Sokolov said.