Ashgabat, January 11 | ORIENT. While global media discuss global crises and local outbreaks, construction of the seamless Tajikistan-Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Turkey transport bridge is quietly being completed in Central Asia. Recent data from the Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan confirms that the region is preparing to intensify this ambitious multimodal corridor, with Turkmenistan playing an indispensable role as a connecting link.
Chinese Transit: A key development, according to the ministry, was Tajikistan's agreement with Beijing allowing transit through China to third countries. This transforms the China-Tajikistan-Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Turkey corridor into a viable alternative to all existing routes. Cargo from Southeast Asian ports can now cross China overland and reach Turkmenistan through Tajik passes.
The European vector: Serbia, Hungary, and beyond. The geography of the new agreements speaks volumes about the seriousness of these intentions. Tajikistan is currently actively integrating legal frameworks with European countries:
Serbia: The agreement on international transport is already in the ratification process.
Hungary and Lithuania: Draft documents are being approved by ministries.
Turkey and Bulgaria: Direct agreements are planned for the unimpeded passage of trucks.
This means that Turkmenistan's logistics companies will soon see trucks traveling on their roads under unified transit documents from the borders of China to EU countries.
Turkmenistan, by providing a transit link between Central Asia and Iran and Turkey in this corridor, is cementing its status as a "crossroads of the Silk Roads." We are witnessing the creation of a unified transport network, where political boundaries give way to economic gain. For Ashgabat, this means not only increased transit revenues but also the status of a guarantor of stable trade flows between East and West.
