2020 was the most memorable year in the history of Azerbaijan’s independence, and under the leadership of Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, our brave Army delivered a devastating blow to the enemy and ended the occupation. The November 10 ceasefire agreement, which confirmed Azerbaijan’s victory, also includes the opening of communication lines in the region. This will further expand Azerbaijan’s potential to become a regional transport and logistics center in the east-west and north-south directions. Thus, with the opening of this corridor, the urgency of the “Middle Corridor” between Europe and Asia, passing through Azerbaijan, will increase, which will lead to a significant increase in cargo transported through the Port of Baku and Azerbaijan at large. These factors will greatly strengthen the strategic position of our country.
Despite the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world and the country’s economy last year, we were able to achieve great success as the Port of Baku thanks to preventive measures and operative solutions taken in the port area in the Alat settlement. Thus, last year, the port’s handling capacity increased by 20% compared to 2019 and exceeded 4.8 million tons. At the same time, the number of large vehicles (TIRs) and containers passing through the port area has reached a record for the last 30 years. Last year alone, 43,218 TIRs were handled in the port, which is an increase of 28% compared to a year earlier. The number of containers increased by 15% and reached 40,345 containers in TEU equivalent. The volume of cargo transported at the dry cargo terminal increased by 2.8 times compared to 2019 and amounted to 711.700 tons. If we compare the results of 2020 with the figures of 2015, we can see that the number of trucks passing through the port area has increased 5 times, the number of containers handled has increased 3 times, and the total volume of dry cargo has increased almost 3.5 times. This is a huge increase. Moreover, we can see these increases continuously. Thus, according to the first quarter of this year, the volume of cargo handled at the port, which is an important part of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, was more than 1.4 million tons, which is about 17% more than in 2020. We predict that the results of this year will be better compared to 2020.
In addition, there is already a significant increase in the volume of cargo transported from China to Europe and vice versa. Thus, on December 10, last year, the first block train carrying cargo from Turkey to China arrived in the Port of Baku, and 3 trips were successfully scheduled on this route. We forecast an increase in freight traffic on this route in the future as well.
Despite the great negative effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the Port of Baku is making new strides in the field of international cooperation. On January 15, 2021, the Port of Baku signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the APEC Port Training Center of the Port of Antwerp, the second largest port in Europe. According to the document, the center will provide training on topics such as environment and occupational safety, improvement of trade and operational processes, innovation and digitalization. In addition, according to the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Fontis University of Applied Sciences, the Guild Institute and the leading logistics company Cabooter Group in the Netherlands, the Port of Baku employees, and representatives of Azerbaijani logistics companies or those wishing to work in transport, trade and logistics in the Netherlands for 4 months will participate in the training program. Program participants will gain both theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of international logistics and the world port industry, warehouse management, port operations and customs procedures at the Fontis University of Applied Sciences and the Gilde Institute Vocational Training Center.
From the first days of 2020, the Port of Baku has been implementing strict rules to protect against the negative effects of the coronovirus. From the first days of the pandemic, the port area was divided into sections, the contact of employees working in different units was minimized, all heavy vehicles entering the port were disinfected and their drivers were allowed to enter the port area only if the coronavirus test was negative. The port also provided a driver’s waiting area for rapid testing and response. In addition, the port area is regularly disinfected, and the sanitary condition of special risk areas is constantly monitored. At the same time, mass vaccination measures were carried out for the employees of the port, and almost all employees of the port have successfully passed the vaccination process.
