ASTANA, Kazakhstan, August 9. Further development of Central Asia's transit and transport potential stands crucial, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said during the sixth Consultative Meeting of Central Asian Heads of State in Astana today, TurkicWorld reports via Akorda.
"The adoption of a Comprehensive Strategy for the Development of the Transport System of Central Asia also has great importance. Special emphasis here is placed on projects such as the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, the North-South Corridor, and the Belt and Road Initiative, in which all Central Asian countries are involved to varying degrees," the head of state also said.
According to him, thanks to joint efforts, the potential of the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway corridor is steadily increasing, which is currently the shortest route to the Persian Gulf countries.
"We consider the construction of the Trans-Afghan Railway, which will open access to the markets of South Asia, as a promising project. Kazakhstan is undertaking large-scale internal work in the transport and transit sector. By 2030, our country plans to modernize 11,000 km and build more than 5,000 km of new railways," Tokayev added.
To note, high-level discussions within the sixth Consultative Meeting of Central Asian Heads of State are covering current issues of multilateral cooperation and prospects for regional interaction.
