BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 24. Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have developed a joint action plan to increase the capacity of railway corridors between the two countries from 35 million tonnes to 60 million tonnes, according to the press service of the Kazakh government.
The issue was discussed during the 23rd meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Bilateral Cooperation, chaired by Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov and Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov in Aktau.
According to the government, railway freight traffic between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan increased by 16% in 2025, reaching 32.3 million tonnes. Bektenov emphasized the importance of further developing railway infrastructure to expand transport connectivity with Central Asian countries. In this regard, he proposed considering the modernization of adjacent railway sections and the opening of additional border crossing points.
Positive dynamics are also observed in the use of Kazakhstan’s maritime infrastructure. The two countries continue to develop cooperation in road transportation. The transition to electronic exchange of foreign permit forms through the E-Permit system has increased their number more than tenfold over four years and reduced border crossing times from nine hours to 30 minutes.
"This year, within the framework of meetings between our respected presidents in Bukhara, Astana and Turkistan, specific tasks were set for the governments of the two countries to expand cooperation. I express my readiness to take all necessary measures to fulfill these instructions. I am confident that our current negotiations will contribute to the further development of trade, investment, industrial, transport, interregional and cultural-humanitarian cooperation," Aripov said.
Following the discussions, the parties agreed to intensify cooperation in industry, the transport and transit sector, and other areas of the economy. At the conclusion of the meeting, the heads of government signed the protocol of the 23rd meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Bilateral Cooperation.
