Considerable attention is being paid to development of the country's transport and communications systems. In the years 1991-2001 the overall volume of cargo moved using all means of transport has increased 1.8 times over and the number of passengers has doubled. This has been made possible thanks to the development of existing roads and the construction of major new routes.

During this period the road-transport sector of the economy has been virtually recreated. Enormous sums have been invested in renewing the stock of vehicles for road transport, modernizing repair facilities, improving existing roads and building new ones and providing bus-stations in the various regions of the country.

In the year 2000 began on the construction of a new highway linking Ashgabat to Dashoguz via the Karakum Desert, which will facilitate the accelerated development of productive forces in those areas.

Work is also in progress on the construction of a highway between Ashgabat and Turkmenbashi (630 kilometers). At the present time major improvement of the highway linking Ashgabat with Mary and Turkmenabad (600 kilometers) is also being undertaken. At the moment total length of roads in the country is 14.000 km.

Rail transport plays a most important role in the country life. The roads built to link Europe and Asia gave birth to the Great Silk Road. The ramified railway network built over the last decade has made Turkmenistan a major transit country. Today this route is used by citizens of Turkey, Iran, Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, UAE and other countries.

The first step towards the implementation in the development program was the construction of railway lnking Tejen, Sarakhs and Mashad (over 300 kilometers). A new rail-link between Turkmenabat and Atamurat (203 kilometers) has also built.

Rapid integration of Turkmenistan into the system of international freight-transport will furthered by the construction of a new rail-route through the North-South transport corridor - Eralievo-Turkmenbashi-Bereket-Etrek - to link in with Iranian rail network.

Work on the construction of new rail-links within the country and the modernization of existing ones is to continue.

Air-transport is also being developed at a rapid place. New airports are being built and existing ones modernized and they serve international and domestic air-lines. Now almost all air planes of national air-company "Turkmenhowayollary" are modern comfortable "Boeing-717" at the domestic flights and "Boeing-737, 757 and 787" planes. There are 8 international air-companies working in the country, these are Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, British Airways, S7 (Siberian Airways), Uzbekistan airways, South China Airways and Aero sweet. The material and technical base of civil aviation is strengthened and the geography of flights becomes more and more diverse.

Planes from Turkmenistan make scheduled flights to many countries of the world and also undertake charter flights to any country of the world as required. The civil-aviation service is to be expanded as well. The purchase of new air-liners will make it possible not only to ensure comfort and safety for passengers, but also to open new routes to the countries of Western Europe and North America.

The reconstruction of airports and runways throughout the country will make it possible for all types of airlines to use Turkmenistan's airports and thus enhance the service provided for passengers.

It is also planned to enlarge the fleet of cargo-planes, thus making it possible to almost double the amount of freight transported by air by 2010. It is planned to set up a national air-company known as "Helicopters of Turkmenistan" to service the oil-drilling platforms on the Caspian shelf.

Since independence there has been a considerable 6 times increase in the volume of cargo transported by sea. The Turkmenbashi is a "gateway" to the Central Asia region and a trans-shipment point for Turkmenistan. Today the infrastructure of the port is being extended and modernized so as to meet international standards. Turkmenistan's sea port is to become one of the most modern in the region and be complete with a well-dveloped infrastructure.

In Turkmenistan the telecommunication infrastructure began to develop successfully after finding independence in 1991. The advanced IT-technologies corresponding to the world standards develop by fast rates.

At the end of 2008 the common installed communication network of Turkmenistan will make telephone exchanges capacity more than 1.700.000 numbers, including installed capacity of mobile communication stations makes 900.000 numbers. The common extent of the long-distance-international communication lines make 7.331 km, including 3.853 km cable and 3.477 km radio relay communication lines, including cable 1.988 km is copper and 1.865 km is fiber-optical. Main fiber-optical communication lines Ashgabat-Mary-Turkmenabat, Ashgabat-Balkanabat-Turkmenbashi, Ashgabat-Karakum-Dashoguz are constructed. In all settlements located along these lines modern digital automatic telephone exchanges are installed.

Every year the number of digital telephone exchanges in all cities of the country constantly increases. For modernization of networks the modern digital communication technical equipment, high-speed digital both fiber-optical systems of transfer and other equipment of digital networks corresponding to the world standard are used. All equipment delivered from other countries has certificates of quality according to international standard ISO 9001. All digital stations put into operation produced by world-known foreign firms "Alcatel", "Siemens", "Ericsson", "Huawei Technologies" meet these requirements.

For maintenance of the on-air broadcasting of National television and radio programs of Turkmen TV at territory of Turkmenistan are installed 283 television and 50 broadcasting transmitters. Great changes in the field of modernization of the professional equipment, audio-video record and broadcasting is carried out under the networks of TV and radio broadcasting of Turkmenistan. According to concluded contract with French firm "Bougue" in 2002 the project of scale modernization of the television center of Turkmen TV was realized. Under this project two large of audio-video record studios, equipped with up-to-date techniques have been mounted and put into operation. In 2003 the State Enterprise "Teleradiomerkezi" has received in using modern mobile television station (MTS), constructed on the basis of 16 ton truck "Mersedes". Besides having in equipment transmitting terrestrial station of the satellite equipment, it allows to conduct direct translations from any part of the country and abroad.

The tender on equipment purchase for new 5th television channel of Turkmen TV is announced. Contracts on purchase of the equipment for new 4th radio channel of national broadcasting with such firms, as "Rohde and Schwarz", "Prima Telecom", "Eurasia Trans Limited", "NPP Triada TV" are concluded after carrying out of the tender.

In all large settlements of the country the Internet-cafes for collective internet services use have been opened. Now the tender for purchase of the equipment for expansion of Internet network is announced.

The State Enterprise of mail service "Turkmenpochta" also is one of dynamically developing enterprises of the Ministry of Communications. Being a member of the International post union (IUT), GKPS "Turkmenpochta" renders services of the posting express delivery EMS, both inside of Turkmenistan, and in 190 countries all over the world. The Ministry of Communication and its divisions having integrated to the global information space, actively cooperate with many foreign countries, being members of the international organizations: International Union of Telecommunication (IUT), World Post Union (WPU), and Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communication (RCC) which promotes development in Turkmenistan of all kinds of modern IT-communications.

Ministry of Communications:
Tel.: (993 12) 35 21 53, fax: (993 12) 21 04 19

State Telecommunication Company "Turkmentelekom"
Tel.: (993 12) 35 21 52, fax: (993 12) 39 60 55

State Mail Service Company "Turkmenpochta"
Tel.: (993 12) 39 89 36, fax: (993 12) 39 89 31