Interfax-Kazakhstan news agency
October 9

Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Karim Masimov and Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Yunusov have discussed transit and transport policy during a meeting at the Zhibek Dzoly border customs point (on the border of South Kazakhstan Region, SKR, and Uzbekistan).

"During the talks they discussed how to simplify border crossing and customs procedures," Masimov said at a briefing for journalists at the akimat (administration) of South Kazakhstan Region in Shymkent. Masimov said that they specifically considered the transit of goods via Kazakhstan westwards along the Kungrad Uzbekistan - Beyneu Kazakhstan (from Uzbekistan to Mangistau Region in western Kazakhstan) route, and farther to the port of Aktau (on the Caspian Sea, also in Mangistau Region) and towards Astrakhan (the Russian Federation). Masimov noted that it was planned to transport primarily Uzbek cotton along these routes.

They also considered the transportation of cargoes, including humanitarian, via Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan.

Masimov said that the talks specified a number of concrete measures to invest in road and railway sectors, as well as to simplify customs and tariff procedures.

"The tasks have been assigned and the measures have been scheduled, and I hope that in the near future we will see increasing cargo traffic via Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and back," Masimov said.

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