CONFERENCE EXPLORES NEW LOGISTICS OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRADE BETWEEN ASIA AND EUROPE
Global marine terminal operator DP World has recently hosted a conference at the Mövenpick Hotel Ibn Battuta Gate – Dubai, aimed at fostering partnerships to facilitate increased trade between Asia and Europe along the “New Silk Way” through Kazakhstan.
The conference was supported by H.E. Askar Mamin, President of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), Kazakhstan’s national railway company, and attendees included KTZ Vice President Kanat Alpysbayev, senior Dubai trade officials and representatives from multinational corporations from the automotive and IT industry, with conference sessions attended by customs, logistics, trade and infrastructure experts. In attendance from CSS Group was Ken Dinnadge, VP Business Development and Amith Horra, Marketing Manager.
The purpose of the conference was to discuss best-practice solutions for increasing trade flows along the “New Silk Way’ – the overland rail transport route that links China, Russia’s Far East and Europe via Kazakhstan. Its aim was to share the developments and new opportunities emerging on Silk routes including the establishment of the Kazakh Chinese gateway Khorgos, which is an influential trading hub for distribution between China and Europe.
DP World Group CEO Mohammed Sharaf welcomed attendees to the conference saying: “With the shift of manufacturing to central and western Chinese cities, far from the traditional sea ports that have taken Chinese made goods around the world, the New Silk Way across Kazakhstan has enormous potential to link China and the west mainly by land, and particularly by rail.” In November 2013, DP World and KTZ signed an agreement that will see DP World provide management advisory services for the development of the Khorgos Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and Inland Container Depot (ICD). DP World will also provide similar services under a separate contract at the Port of Aktau, Kazakhstan’s main cargo and bulk terminal on the Caspian Sea.
“On behalf of the CSS Group, we are pleased to thank DP World for organizing such an informative conference; whereby we were able to gain insights into the strategic development plans of DP World, KTZ and the New Silk Way,” added Ken Dinnadge.
Speakers in the conference included senior management from DP World, Kazakhstan Railway & logistic company, Kazakhstan Customs, Russian UTLC, Chinese Lianyungang Port Group, Hewlett Packard and Toyota Tsusho Corporation. They shared their vision and the details of significant investments being made in the development of silk route and Khorgos SEZ.