OREANDA-NEWS. On 19 March 2009 was announced, that the Silk Road - 2009 rally project was officially presented in Moscow. The presentation ceremony crowned all the hard work related to organizational, technical, information and other issues between representatives of Turkmenistan, France and Russia.

On results of this work, the head of the organizing committee of the Silk Road project, Semen Yakubov, signed a cooperation agreement with the representative of French company Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.) Frederic Lekien. Under the agreement, A.S.O., an organizer of the famous Dakar rally and well-known Tour de France cycle race, will act as a co-organizer of the Kazan-Ashgabat race along with representatives of KAMAZ-Master team and the Turkmen directorate of the rally.

As was earlier reported, the Silk Road - 2009 rally was included in the 2009 sport calendar of the International Automobile Federation (FIA). The rally was also granted the status of Dakar Series.

An announcement was made during the presentation that Turkmenistan crews would also participate in the marathon. Several Russian crews were also awarded honorary certificates of the first participants of the marathon.

The 4,5 thousand km "Silk Road" rally will start in Kazan on 5 September and finish in the main square of Ashgabat. The route passes through the Central Russia and South Urals, Kazakhstan, and Karakum desert in Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan has undertook to provide substantial financial support. It is expected that around 500 people and 200 vehicles, including 50 trucks, will take part in the rally.