Deputy minister: Uzbekistan considering purchasing ships for its own Caspian fleet

Uzbekistan is considering acquiring and chartering vessels to build its own merchant and ferry fleet on the Caspian Sea to expand the capacity of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR, Middle Corridor), Deputy Minister of Transport of Uzbekistan Jasurbek Choriev said in Brussels at a conference to launch the Connectivity Agenda Platform, Report informs.

According to Choriev, Tashkent is working on a strategy to create its own fleet to service the country's foreign trade cargo flows. He noted that further development of the Middle Corridor requires eliminating bottlenecks, primarily at border crossings and in infrastructure that is experiencing capacity constraints. These limitations currently hinder cargo growth more than transit time along the route itself, he added.

The deputy minister also emphasized the importance of technical support from the European Union and expanded trade opportunities for Central Asian countries amid growing cargo flows between Europe and Asia.

According to Choriev, the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway could provide additional impetus to the development of the Middle Corridor. Once integrated into existing transport networks, the route may significantly expand the region's trade opportunities and increase the corridor's attractiveness for shippers and investors.

Landlocked Uzbekistan has been actively developing alternative transport routes in recent years to diversify its foreign trade and reduce its dependence on traditional logistics routes.