Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan mulling creation of new transport corridor from China - company

TASHKENT. Aug 10 (Interfax) - Representatives of the rail agencies of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan have discussed the possibility of establishing a new transport corridor from China, the press service for O'zbekiston temir yo'llari (Uzbekistan Railways) said.

This project was discussed during a meeting via video link-up attended by Acting Chairman of the Board at O'zbekiston temir yo'llari Khusnutdin Khasilov, Director General of Kyrgyz Temir Zholu (National Company State Enterprise Kyrgyz Railways) Azamat Sakiyev and Bakht-ur-Rahman Sharafat, head of the Afghanistan Railway. China's Wagkhan Corridor, a logistics company, was also invited to attend the meeting, the Uzbekistan Railways press service said in a statement.

"The sides discussed the organizing of a new corridor, China - Kyrgyzstan - Uzbekistan - Afghanistan and establishing mutually-beneficial conditions for cargo traffic along the corridor, and, most importantly, introducing competitive tariffs," it said.

It is planned that cargo from China's Kashgar will be transported via the corridor to Kyrgyzstan's Osh by road and then by rail across Uzbek territory to Hairatan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan Railways said.

According to experts, with this multimodal transport corridor in use, cargo traffic from China to Afghanistan and onwards could increase from current 3,500 to 60,000 containers per year.