Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan

As part of the third day of the Tashkent International Investment Forum, organized under the coordination of the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan, a session was held on the topic “Transportation Infrastructure: Today’s Silk Road Pathways.” It was dedicated to issues of modernizing regional transport systems, expanding logistics capabilities, and attracting foreign investment.

Deputy Minister of Transport of Uzbekistan Jasurbek Choriev noted that starting from 2016, thanks to the course toward complete transformation, the situation in the sector has changed dramatically.

“Today we can confidently say that Uzbekistan is moving toward ‘green’ transport in all directions. Everything we build, develop, and implement is connected to sustainable solutions. And in this process, railway transport occupies a key position. We have set a goal to achieve complete electrification of railways by the end of 2025,” added Jasurbek Choriev.

The Deputy Minister also shared that in 2024, Uzbekistan ranked first in aviation growth rates at 38%. A project for a new airport in Tashkent is under development, which is conceived as a transport hub.

“This is an important project not only for Uzbekistan, but for the entire region, as we are located in the center of Central Asia and have no access to the sea. Aviation is a strategic link for both passenger and cargo transportation,” he emphasized.

The session discussed opportunities for developing the automotive, railway, and aviation sectors, regulatory mechanisms, as well as approaches to cooperation based on public-private partnerships. The event focused on the current state of transport and logistics infrastructure in Central Asia, its prospects, and conditions being created for foreign investors.

According to Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Alexander Khvtisiashvili, when discussing the development of transport corridors, it is necessary to consider several conditions: stability in the region and country, legislative framework, infrastructure projects, as well as good neighborly and partnership relations.

Senior Loan Officer at the European Investment Bank Davide Monguzzi noted that the bank’s physical presence in Central Asia will allow for intensified activity in the region.

“We are pleased to have signed an agreement to establish our representative office in Samarkand. Although we have been working here for more than 10 years, we are now focused on expanding our partnership,” added Davide Monguzzi.

According to Davide Monguzzi, Uzbekistan is the heart of Central Asia, therefore infrastructure development here has strategic significance. Given that the country has no direct access to the sea, it is important to develop alternative routes: railways, highways, and aviation.

Director of Private Sector Infrastructure Division at the Asian Development Bank Mayank Choudhary noted that Uzbekistan is the central link in the corridor. It has received more than $12 billion in investment, of which more than $3 billion is from ADB, mainly in road and railway infrastructure.

“We are investing not only in ‘hard’ infrastructure. Trade facilitation and digitization are important priorities. We support the creation of single windows, modernization of customs procedures and checkpoints to accelerate and simplify the movement of goods,” added Mayank Choudhary.

Mario Antonio Ebcim, Director of Commercial Sales Eurasia at Boeing, noted that the epicenter of the industry, which was previously in the West, is now shifting to the Asia-Pacific region. This is where the main growth, value, and economic development will be concentrated.

“In 2024, Uzbekistan celebrated the centenary of aviation, starting from the first flight and the creation of a technical base. We, for our part, are proud to be a partner of Uzbekistan Airways and that it was our Boeing Dreamliner that connected Central Asia with the largest market in North America through the airport in New York. And we already see the result - the number of flights is steadily growing,” added Mario Antonio Ebcim.

The speaker also shared that in August 2024, according to data from Airports Council International Europe, Uzbekistan ranked second in aviation growth rates compared to pre-COVID 2019.

Commercial Director of Egis Kadriye Baysal emphasized that Central Asia is a strategically important region for the company.

“There are already successful examples of PPP projects in Uzbekistan, and we at Egis are actively working on developing similar models,” added Baysal.

The session also presented practical solutions based on successful projects and examined market opportunities in the railway, road, and aviation sectors for investors.