Experts assess the promising projects of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in the transport and communications sector
07/12/2021 11:41
Experts assess the promising projects of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in the transport and communications sector
07/12/2021 11:41
Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The interaction of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in the transit and transport sector has great prospects, the implementation of new large joint projects for the development of railway infrastructure, modernization of road checkpoints is planned. A favorable tariff policy for the carriage of goods is being formed.
The indicators of cargo transportation are growing, only in 2020 the volume of railway traffic between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan amounted to 21 million tons and increased by 19% compared to 2019.
As the President of Uzbekistan noted: “Based on the geostrategic position of our countries, an important area of interaction is the transport and logistics sector. We are talking about such important projects as the construction of the Uchkuduk - Kyzylorda road and railroad, as well as the launch of a high-speed rail link along the Turkestan - Shymkent - Tashkent route.
Signed during the visit of the President of Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan "Joint Action Plan for the implementation of the Kyzylorda-Uchkuduk road and railway construction project for 2021-2025" has serious prospects due to the following circumstances.
Firstly, the border of Kazakhstan with Uzbekistan stretches for 2351 km, almost a third of it passes through Kyzylorda region, which borders on the industrial Navoi region of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Karakalpakstan. However, there are no roads or checkpoints between the Kazakh region and neighboring regions of Uzbekistan.
At present, in order to travel from Uchkuduk to Kyzylorda, the existing roads will have to cover a distance of over 1300 km and spend about a day on the way, while the new road will reduce the distance and time by almost 3-3.5 times.
Secondly, the opening of the new road will give a multiplier effect due to the development of roadside infrastructure, since it will increase the connectivity of the territories of neighboring republics, reduce transport costs, increase the mobility of labor and capital, expand the border of their markets, and increase the investment attractiveness on the one hand of the Kyzylorda region of Kazakhstan, from the other Navoi region and the Republic of Karakalpakstan.
Third, the regions will be able to trade directly with each other. For example, in Karakalpakstan, the Ustyurt gas chemical complex operates, which produces polyethylene and propylene, while entrepreneurs of the Kyzylorda region buy these products from Tatarstan, which is logistically closer to them today.
In addition, the development of the Uchkuduk - Kyzylorda project will expand the route network and connect the center of Kazakhstan, the Urals and Siberia with Uzbekistan. In turn, for Kazakhstan, the implementation of such projects opens up alternative and cost-effective routes to the southern regions of Kyrgyzstan, the Sughd region of Tajikistan and the northern provinces of Afghanistan.
Another project for the construction of a high-speed highway "Turkestan - Shymkent - Tashkent" will increase the passenger traffic capacity.
According to forecasts of the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the passenger turnover may reach 1.9 million passengers per year (with the movement of 5 pairs of high-speed trains).
It seems that this project will spur the development of mutual tourist trips between countries (ecotourism, ziyorat-tourism), expand contacts between business circles and will generally serve the development of bilateral and regional cooperation.
In general, the development of a network of transport and communication routes between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, as well as other countries of the region, will have a beneficial effect on the development of Central Asia and accelerate its integration into the system of world economic relations of the Eurasian continent.
Leading researchers Malkov Sergey and Tokhirov Azamat, International Institute of Central Asia
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