DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, May 24. The volume of cargo transported through the Kulma-Karasu checkpoint on the border between Tajikistan's Gorno-Badakhshan region and China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) reached 472,852 tons in 2023, which is 302,276 tons, or 2.5 times more than in 2022 (170,576 tons), Trend reports.
According to the Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan, this was announced during a celebration event marking the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Kulma-Karasu checkpoint. The event was attended by the leadership of the Ministry of Transport, GBAO officials, and representatives from XUAR.
It was noted that, with China's financial assistance, the reconstruction of one of the most challenging sections of the Dushanbe-Kulma highway (the Kalaikhumb-Vanj-Rushan section) is ongoing. This project, worth $204 million, will further develop the newly established international multimodal corridor: China-Tajikistan-Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Türkiye.
According to the Ministry, the use of this corridor, compared to existing routes, has advantages in terms of reducing distances and lowering transportation costs. It revives the Great Silk Road and creates favorable conditions for the economic integration of the region.
In August 2023, during a visit by the Chairman of the National Assembly of Tajikistan and Mayor of Dushanbe, Rustam Emomali, to China, an agreement was signed for the construction and reconstruction of roads and four new overpasses in the capital, as well as the repair and reconstruction of the Kulma-Karasu checkpoint.
