Tashkent hosted the 8th Meeting of the Official Foreign Policy Research Centers of the Member and Observer States of the Organization of Turkic States, dedicated to the development of trade and economic cooperation and transport and logistics relations in the OTS space.

Director of the Center for Economic Research and Reforms Obid Khakimov noted the importance of practical cooperation between the Turkic countries in the transport and logistics sector. According to him, this direction has a special place in the adopted strategic document “Turkic World Vision – 2040”. Moreover, the focus is on ensuring the transport connectivity of countries and simplifying customs and transport procedures, including through digitalization.

Further development of cooperation between Uzbekistan in transport and logistics with the OTS countries depends on several factors.

Export-import and transit communication of Uzbekistan is carried out along 9 international transport corridors, eight of which pass through at least one OTS member country. Two out of the five countries bordering Uzbekistan (Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan) are members of the OTS and one has observer status (Turkmenistan).

The Central Asian countries are key links in the Central Asian region as the main transport hub at the intersection of routes in the direction of North-South and East-West. Not all Central Asian countries have access to the oceans. In addition, Uzbekistan is one of only two countries in the world that is twice as far from the oceans, which significantly increases transport costs. Studies show that landlocked countries spend twice as much on transportation costs. For the countries of Central Asia, transport costs in many cases reach 60% of the cost of imported goods.

Speaking about international transportation, Uzbekistan’s participation in several international programs for the integration of transport systems and the digitalization of logistics was noted. Almost 18% of regional railways pass through Uzbekistan, through which about 11% of all regional freight transportation is carried out.

Uzbekistan seeks to take an active part in the implementation of the tasks for the digitalization of transport and transit procedures, which were reflected in the strategic document “Turkic World Vision – 2040”, adopted during the Istanbul Summit in 2021. In the short term, the main attention is focused on facilitating transport and transit procedures in the OTS member states, including through the use of modern digital tools. These are, first of all, the eTIR, ePermit and eCMR systems.

According to O. Khakimov, the integration of digital solutions will make it possible to turn the Central Asian countries into a bridge that will connect the OTS countries with China and South Asia, and will also ensure even deeper integration of the region’s countries into global supply chains and international transit cargo transportation.

UzA