(MENAFN- Trend News Agency)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 23. Uzbekistan is
developing promising transport projects for the integration of
Central Asia, Uzbekistan's Minister of Transport Ilkhom Makhkamov
told Trend in an
exclusive interview.
“There are promising transport projects that could provide a
huge boost to the development of a whole transport system in
Central Asia, the Caucasus, and countries in Europe and Asia.
Bright examples of such projects include the construction of the
China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway and the
Pakistan-Afghanistan-Uzbekistan railway line project, which is
being promoted by Uzbekistan. An analysis of the potential of this
corridor shows that the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway has
several positive aspects, connecting the regions with a single
railway network,” he said.
The minister noted that the new corridor will connect the
regions with a unified railway network and provide an alternative
route linking China with Europe along the Asia-Pacific
countries-China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Türkiye-EU
countries route. This project will also open opportunities for the
export and import of goods from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan, Iran, and Afghanistan with China and other
Asia-Pacific countries. Furthermore, the implementation of the
Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan line will connect India and China,
creating a powerful South Asia
(India-Pakistan)-Afghanistan-Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan-China
corridor.
“The development of the mentioned projects will increase the
transit potential of the Central Asian region, the Caucasus, and
others, including Uzbekistan, and lead to the formation of new
multimodal transport and transit digital corridors:
India-Pakistan-Afghanistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan-Georgia/Türkiye-EU,”
emphasized Ilkhom Makhkamov.
According to him, Uzbekistan could potentially become a
crossroads between two directions: north-south and west-east, where
the territory of the country and the entirety of Central Asia will
be considered a single major logistics hub.
He also highlighted the advantages of the Transafghan corridor,
which will improve the transit status of Central Asian countries
and significantly strengthen their mutual relations.
“Central Asian countries do not have direct access to sea
transport and are thus cut off from the most economically
advantageous transport routes, making the development of transport
infrastructure in the region one of the key tasks,” Ilkhom
Makhkamov said.
According to the minister, access to Pakistani ports through
Afghanistan is the shortest route to the sea for Uzbekistan.
Through the Indian Ocean, Uzbekistan will be able to establish
trade relations with countries in South Asia, Africa, North
America, and South America. In turn, Pakistan is also interested in
this direction, as it will allow it to enter the Central Asian
market, improving political and social relations.
He noted that Central Asian countries possess significant
reserves of natural underground resources and actively export them.
In this context, the Transafghan railway will become an important
tool that will provide the countries in the region with the
opportunity to effectively integrate with the global economy.
“The Transafghan corridor provides an opportunity to connect the
railway infrastructure of Central and Southeast Asian countries,
opening new paths for the exchange of both material and cultural
values,” he emphasized.
The minister pointed out that in the near future, with a
well-structured strategy for developing the transport sector and
integrating into the global network of rail and road transport, the
main indicators in the transport sphere will be achieved, leading
to a potential increase in cargo turnover, delivery speed, the
volume of transit cargo, passenger turnover, and simultaneously the
flow of transit goods. This, in turn, will enhance the
attractiveness of the Central Asian region and the competitiveness
of its transport routes.
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