Central Asia’s Transport Logistics Shift Eastward
At a recent roundtable in Bishkek on economic ties with China, former Kyrgyz Prime Minister and former presidential economic advisor Akylbek Japarov called on Central Asian states to improve coordination on regional transport infrastructure. He noted that Kyrgyz transport companies increasingly view transit through the Chinese city of Kashgar as the most efficient route. Japarov argued that China, given its global stature, should engage with Central Asia as a unified and coordinated region rather than as a collection of separate states. “We are facing both an opportunity and a challenge,” he said. “We must think not in terms of competition between countries, but as a single interconnected system. Only in this way will we achieve sustainable growth and maintain our independence in the new world order.” Eastern Shift: Freight Volumes Rise Through China According to the Kyrgyz Association of International Carriers, a growing volume of freight is now transported through China, and this trend is expected to accelerate following the completion of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. Deputy Chairman of the Association, Igor Golubev, told The Times of Central Asia that private carriers are independently negotiating routes with transit countries across both eastern and western corridors. “We are actively cooperating with neighboring countries, developing new routes, and finalizing logistics. There are some challenges, like visa issues and fuel surcharges, but they are all solvable,” Golubev said. Previously, some carriers established routes through Turkmenbashi to transport goods across the Caspian and Black Seas to Europe. However, a shortage of ferries in Turkmenistan has created a serious bottleneck. In response, the Turkmen government is reportedly exploring the purchase of additional vessels. Western Routes: Costly and Complex Logistics along western routes remain difficult. Sanctions and transit restrictions through Russia, the shortest and most economical path to Europe, have forced freight operators to reroute via the so-called Middle Corridor. This involves ferrying goods across the Black Sea to Georgia, transporting them to Azerbaijan, then shipping them across the Caspian Sea to Aktau (Kazakhstan) or Turkmenbashi (Turkmenistan), and continuing overland to Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. “This route is very expensive. Waiting for ferries adds to the costs,” Golubev explained. “We rarely use the Black Sea route. European cargo is primarily transported via Turkey, Iran, and the Caspian Sea. These logistics remain expensive and time-consuming.” Exploring Southern Routes: Pakistan and the Push Toward Karachi As Chinese industrial output continues to expand, the country’s existing logistics infrastructure is increasingly strained. Beijing is investing in new railways, expanding route networks, and seeking to streamline carrier operations. Amid high costs and administrative hurdles in western corridors, Kyrgyz carriers are turning to the east and south. Last year, Pakistani transport companies and wholesalers participated in the Kyrgyzstan Logistics Forum. Talks are now underway to secure access to Pakistan’s port of Karachi. “We had planned a joint motor rally with Pakistan, but tensions at the India-Pakistan border forced us to postpone,” Golubev said. A new route is being considered that would pass through China and Iran, bypassing Afghanistan. “Pakistanis are already using Afghan transit...
