New projects are designed to solve a strategic task - to unite the 4 largest transport corridors in China, the CIS, Europe and South Asia

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- At a briefing held at the Agency for Information and Mass Communications for media representatives, the main results of the participation of the President of Uzbekistan in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit held in Bishkek and the Council on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, held in Dushanbe.

One of the key issues discussed at the SCO meeting was transport corridors.

Journalists showed particular interest in relation to the Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan-China railway and to what extent its construction is relevant.

Why this road and other logistics communications are important was explained by the director of the Institute for Strategic and Interregional Studies, Eldor Aripov.

“First of all, the railway“ Uzbekistan - Kyrgyzstan - China ”is the shortest way from China to the countries of Europe and the Middle East. Compared with the existing routes, the distance will be reduced by 900 km, the time of delivery of goods by 7-8 days. According to experts, the carriage of goods in the amount of not less than 5 million tons per year can fully cover the cost of road construction.

The prospect of this project is demonstrated by the already established “Kashgar-Irkeshtam-Osh-Andijan-Tashkent” auto corridor, which for the first time allowed auto carriers from Central Asia to directly enter China.

Eldor Aripov noticed that this is not the only promising project. The construction of the Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway with access to the Pakistani port of Gwadar can also be very promising. Uzbekistan, together with Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan and Russia, has already begun to discuss this project. In December 2018 and March 2019, a five-sided meeting of the heads of railway departments was held in Tashkent, during which it was decided to establish a Working Group on its implementation.

“Pakistan’s trade with the countries of Central Asia and the CIS countries is growing dynamically. According to forecasts, by 2025 it will be 6 billion dollars. The only thing holding her back is the absence of direct transport corridors,” the expert emphasized.

He also added that this corridor will connect Central Asia via Afghanistan via Pakistan with the shortest route, and also provide an opportunity for South Asian states to enter the markets of the CIS and Europe. Moreover, together with the Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan-China corridor, the Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar road will solve a strategic task - combining 4 major corridors in China, the CIS, Europe and South Asia.

“It is important to understand that transport communications do not just solve interconnectedness problems, they create new jobs, stimulate trade, and motivate development. In order to provide funding for these transport and infrastructure projects, the President of Uzbekistan announced the initiative to create a "Financial Dialogue for the countries of Central Asia and Afghanistan." Speaking at the SCO summit in Bishkek, the President of Uzbekistan also proposed to develop and adopt the SCO Strategy on the development of interconnectedness of economic and transport corridors,” the Director of ISMI said.