Uzbekistan and Tajikistan Launch Pilot Freight Transport along the China-Europe Corridor
Logistics agencies in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan are beginning the practical phase of developing the multimodal China-Tajikistan-Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Turkey-Europe corridor. This pilot project aims to test the effectiveness of this complex transport chain.
The Essence of the Pilot Project: from Uzbekistan to China. As part of the experiment, a convoy of 10 fully loaded trucks will depart from Uzbekistan and travel through Tajikistan to China. This movement is an important indicator of the readiness of the infrastructure on the eastern leg of the corridor. An agreement to this effect was reached during talks between Transport Ministers Azim Ibrohim (Tajikistan) and Ilkhom Makhkamov (Uzbekistan), according to the press service of the Tajik Ministry of Transport.
Where does Turkmenistan Fit in? Although the current pilot project focuses on the eastern section (towards China), the corridor itself is unthinkable without Turkmenistan. Our country provides transit access for this route to Iran and Turkey. The current test in Tajikistan is verifying the functionality of the entire permitting and logistics system, which will later be applied to the Turkmen section for cargo moving in the opposite direction (to Iran, Turkey, and Europe).
Innovations at the Border: the Jartepa-Sarazm Center. To optimize the route, modernization of the border crossing between the Samarkand (Uzbekistan) and Sughd (Tajikistan) regions is planned:
A logistics center with a capacity of up to 100 trucks per day with instant registration. A barrier-free environment will be achieved by creating shopping and medical centers near the border, which Tajik citizens will be able to use without passport control and unnecessary queues.
Digitalization will include the introduction of electronic permits for international transport, which will significantly speed up border crossings along the corridor.
