Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 22 May 2025, a roundtable meeting was held in Tashkent as part of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor Coordination Platform. The event was organized with the support of the European Commission and the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Uzbekistan, with participation from private sector representatives.

The goal of the meeting was to exchange views on increasing freight volumes along the Trans-Caspian route and to identify and analyze existing obstacles to efficient logistics.

Opening the roundtable, Peteris Ustubs, Director for Asia and the Pacific at the European Commission, presented an overview of the current state of the Trans-Caspian Corridor and emphasized the importance of ongoing development efforts amid global transportation challenges.

Bekzod Kholmatov, Director of the Transport Studies Center, highlighted in his report the increasing geopolitical complexity in the Red Sea region and Eastern Europe. He noted the growing need to establish secure, sustainable, and diversified transport routes connecting Europe, China, and Central Asia. In this context, the Trans-Caspian International Multimodal Transport Corridor is gaining strategic significance.

Representatives of leading national transport and logistics companies in Uzbekistan, involved in freight transportation along the Trans-Caspian route, delivered analytical reports on existing logistical barriers. Among the key issues identified was a significant increase in delivery times—two to threefold—caused by congestion in the Caspian port infrastructure. Participants stressed the need for large-scale investments to modernize ports and enhance their capacity.

During the first session of the event, a transport consultant from the European Union presented a report focused on the development of multimodal logistics centers and warehouse infrastructure in Uzbekistan. The speaker particularly highlighted the country’s potential for efficient use of its logistics resources.

In conclusion, representatives of the European Commission praised the organization of the event and proposed holding the next meeting in a similar format in November 2025 to assess progress and discuss the implementation of the proposed initiatives.