Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Investments and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan Sardor Umurzakov received a Russian delegation headed by Director General - Chairman of the Board of JSC Russian Railways Oleg Belozerov.

During the meeting, the sides discussed issues of transport and logistics cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Uzbekistan, as well as the prospects for joint implementation of large projects for the construction of transport infrastructure.

The head of the Russian company announced his readiness to take part in the implementation of the project for the construction of the Mazar-i-Sharif - Kabul - Peshawar railway, while noting the importance of this project for the economic development of the region’s countries and increasing the transit potential of many countries. It was emphasized that the implementation of this project, forming a new architecture of transport communications in the region, will reduce the time and cost parameters of transportation of goods from East and South Asia to the CIS and Europe and in the opposite direction by 30 percent.

An agreement was reached on attracting specialized Russian design institutes with advanced experience and technologies in this area to provide technical assistance in the development of a feasibility study for the project and mechanisms for its financing.

Having agreed on the construction and launch of the railway, the parties also touched upon the practical aspects of its further operation - the expediency of jointly developing a training program for the Afghan railway industry was voiced.

Also, within the framework of the dialogue, general issues of deepening cooperation in the field of transport were considered. In particular, further steps were outlined for interaction in order to increase the congestion of the railway corridors connecting the two states by revising and optimizing the conditions of cargo transportation, which will reduce time and material costs for manufacturers and logistics companies and increase the transit potential of the two countries.

Joint measures will be taken to increase the volume of mutual cargo transportation by forming direct ties between Uzbek and Russian entrepreneurs in order to establish regular supplies of agricultural products to the Russian market.

An agreement was also reached on joint preparation for the phased resumption of regular passenger railway communication between Uzbekistan and Russia as the epidemiological situation normalizes.

The head of the Russian delegation also voiced significant opportunities for the development of practical cooperation in the field of labor migration, with a view to attracting qualified personnel from Uzbekistan for the construction of railway infrastructure facilities in Russia.

In this regard, following the meeting, a memorandum was signed between Russian Railways and the Ministry of Employment and Labor Relations of the Republic of Uzbekistan on assistance in the organized attraction of qualified labor resources of Uzbekistan for the construction of railway infrastructure facilities in the Russian Federation.