Kazakhstan offers partners from Russia to participate in the implementation of international transport and logistics projects

Kazakhstan is actively developing alternative transport routes and developing a network of cross-border hubs. A special role in the restoration of international logistics chains belongs to the North-South transit corridor, which provides the shortest distances for the transportation of goods between the EAEU countries and South Asia, East Africa and the Middle East.

"We have activated the work of the eastern branch of the corridor through the Kazakhstan–Turkmenistan–Iran railway. In June 2022, a pilot train of 40 units of 40-foot containers with construction materials from Russia, sent to India, was launched. In 9 months of 2022, 79.2 thousand tons of cargo were transported in this direction, which is 8 times more than last year," Deputy Prime Minister- Minister of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan Serik Zhumangarin said, speaking at the plenary session of the Forum of Interregional Cooperation of Kazakhstan and Russia.

At the same time, according to the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, the successful development of the North-South corridor is hindered by infrastructure and "non-physical" barriers. Among them are missing links and "bottlenecks" of the transport and logistics infrastructure, the lack of a coordinated through-rail tariff, paper border crossing procedures. Today, experts count more than 40 such barriers. As a result, almost 50% of transit time is spent crossing borders, doubling the duration of car and railway transportation.

"In order to eliminate bottlenecks along the North-South corridor, it is necessary to digitalize the process of controlling cargo flow at the borders, harmonize customs procedures and coordinate tariff policy. The expected results of such work will be comparable with the impact of the development of physical infrastructure," Serik Zhumangarin believes.

Another big project of Kazakhstan is the development of a network of cross-border hubs, which includes the construction of five border centers of trade, transportation, logistics and industrial cooperation.

Work has begun on the creation of the ICTES "Central Asia" on the border with Uzbekistan. The plans include the creation and modernization of centers on the external borders with Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan and Iran. The Alatau hub will be created on the border with Kyrgyzstan. This is one of the busiest transit points for goods from Kyrgyzstan through Kazakhstan to the north to Russia, Europe and China.

Currently, work is underway to create a cross-border trade center "Eurasia" in the West Kazakhstan region, through which two key corridors "One Belt, One Road" and "North-South" run. The industrial facility will primarily be of interest for the implementation of export-oriented projects of the manufacturing industry.

"Geographical proximity and access to the EAEU markets, combined with attractive conditions, will make the Eurasia industrial zone the most profitable for investors in China, India, and Turkey. We invite Russian colleagues and business to join the implementation of this large-scale project, which will become an industrial and logistics hub at the crossroads of economic corridors," Serik Zhumangarin announced a proposal from the Kazakh side.

At the same time, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan stressed that the growth of transit goods flow, as well as the increase in the capacity of terminal and warehouse infrastructure will ensure the food security of the region.