ASTANA, Kazakhstan, March 18. Kazakhstan is acting as a continental bridge along the East-West and North-South transport corridors, said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Roman Vassilenko during a briefing for reporters, Trend reports.
"Our geographical location has enabled us to serve as a trade and diplomatic bridge between the East and West. Kazakhstan, in collaboration with our Central Asian and beyond neighbors, as well as partners such as the EU, is capitalizing on our geographic location and geoeconomic potential to improve land-based linkages between Asia and Europe. Kazakhstan and Central Asia have distinct benefits for connecting distant markets and serving as a continental bridge along the East-West and North-South transport lines," he said.
According to him, approximately 80 percent of the land-based cargo traffic between Europe and Asia passes through Kazakhstan.
"Already, thanks to collective action, transportation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, or Middle Corridor, has tripled in the past two years and is expected to increase further over the next half-decade," Vassilenko said.
To date, 13 international transport corridors have been formed and are in operation in Kazakhstan, including 5 railways and 8 roads.
Furthermore, about $30 billion has been invested in the transport and logistics infrastructure of Kazakhstan over the past 10 years.
Moreover, in the next five years, at least 40 billion euros will be needed to implement major infrastructure projects in the field of transportation in Kazakhstan.