Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 2

By Ilhama Isabalayeva – Trend:

Azerbaijani citizens and foreign guests may travel by a cruise ship along the Caspian Sea in summer, Azerbaijani Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfas Garayev told reporters in Baku Feb. 2.

He added that Russia is already preparing ships to organize sea cruises along the Caspian Sea.

"Several projects have already been discussed,” he said. “The cruises will be organized in summer."

In accordance with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s decree "On additional measures to increase the flow of tourists to Azerbaijan" signed in 2017, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry jointly with the State Maritime Administration, the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company and Baku International Sea Trade Port were charged with holding talks with the Caspian-littoral countries to organize sea cruises in the Caspian Sea.

On December 28, the Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping Company and Moscow River Shipping Company signed a memorandum of cooperation on cruise shipping in the Caspian region by using ‘Peter the Great’ new cruise passenger ship.

The memorandum envisages joint activities to study and develop optimal routes for cruise passenger vessels, such as ports of the Black Sea - inland waterways of the Russian Federation - Astrakhan - ports of the Caspian Sea; Moscow-Baku; Astrakhan - Makhachkala - Baku; Baku - Anzali - Nowshahr - Turkmenbashi - Aktau - Astrakhan and others.

By this cruise liner, passengers will be able to travel across the Black Sea, the port cities of Russia, the Caspian-littoral countries. The ship has a fitness room, restaurants, a cinema and other conditions for leisure.

The sea cruises will attract more tourists to Azerbaijan and contribute to the development of tourism in the country. This project will attract tourists from the EU countries, US, Australia, China and other regions of the world.