Uzbekistan is developing promising transport projects for the integration of Central Asia.
Uzbek Transport Minister Ilkhom Mahkamov said this in an exclusive interview with Trend, emphasising the significance of multiple transport projects for regional integration.
‘There are promising transport projects that could become a huge impetus in the development of the entire transport system of Central Asia, the Caucasus, European and Asian countries. The construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway and the Pakistan-Afghanistan-Uzbekistan railway line project promoted by Uzbekistan are vivid examples of such projects. Analysing the potential of this corridor shows that the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway line has several positive aspects, connecting the regions with one railway network,’ he said.
The minister noted that the new corridor will connect the regions with one railway network and provide an alternative route linking China with Europe along the route ‘Asia-Pacific countries-China-Kyrgyzstan-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Turkey-EU countries’. This project will also open up opportunities for export and import of goods from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Afghanistan with China and other APR countries. In addition, the implementation of the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan line will connect India and China, which will create a powerful corridor ‘South Asian countries (India-Pakistan) – Afghanistan – Uzbekistan – Kyrgyzstan – China’.
