BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 1
By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend:
The construction of the missing section of the Central Asian "North-South" transport-transit economic corridor will make it possible to form the shortest route from Europe, Russia, Central Asia to Pakistan, India and the countries of South Asia, the Ministry of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan told Trend.
The ministry stressed that Kazakhstan plays a special role in the formation of the "North-South" corridor, connecting the richest regions of Europe, the Urals, Siberia and the Far East regions of Russia with Central and South Asia, and providing access to trade with the countries of South Asia.
"Key Trans-Eurasian trade corridors pass through the territory of Kazakhstan, allowing to significantly reduce the delivery time from Asia to Europe and in the opposite direction. With a developed railway infrastructure, Kazakhstan has every opportunity to scale up transit and trade potential with strategic partners, including key corridors of Eurasia," the ministry said.
With the active development of the Dostyk and Khorgos railway junctions, the Khorgos dry port, as well as the expansion of the Aktau and Kuryk ports, Kazakhstan has already become an important link in international trade in the East-West direction.
"The next promising area of development in the region is the development of the "North-South" corridor, which provides the most optimal route through Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan from the EU, Russia to South Asia, Pakistan and India," the ministry noted.
"Building of a missing section of the "North-South" corridor - Mazar-i-Sharif - Kabul - Peshawar railway will make it possible to form the shortest route (shortening the route by almost 1,800 km) from Europe, Russia, Central Asia to Pakistan, India and the countries of South Asia."
The main route of the "North-South" corridor covers the EU-Russia-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India-South Asia, while its eastern route - EU-Russia-Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India-South Asia.