The declining water level of the Caspian Sea is creating serious challenges for cargo transportation, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rahman Gummatov said.
Speaking at the 2nd Azerbaijan–Turkey Investment Forum in Baku, Gummatov noted that in some ports ferries are forced to operate at less than 50% of their carrying capacity due to silted channels, Report news agency reported.
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“In several ports, our ferries can load only half of their capacity because the channels are becoming shallower,” he said. “Naturally, this cargo is not carried by Azerbaijan alone. Every link in the supply chain – logistics, transit, and related services – generates profit. The only loss-making segment is transportation across the Caspian Sea itself.”
According to the deputy minister, the situation requires coordinated regional action. He stressed the need to intensify joint efforts and called on all Caspian littoral states – particularly Turkish companies – to participate in addressing the problem.
“Of course, this will require the development of a viable business model,” Gummatov added, emphasizing that without collective solutions, maritime transport across the Caspian risks becoming increasingly unsustainable.
