Uzbekistan Eyes Caspian and Black Sea Ports to Break Out of Central Asia
Imperial Oil Becomes First Major Alberta Energy Company to Oppose Separatism Eurasianet is an independent news organization that covers news from and about the South Caucasus and Central Asia, providing on-the-ground reporting and critical perspectives on… Uzbekistan is intent on establishing logistics lily pads on the shores of the Caspian and Black Seas to advance Tashkent’s Middle Corridor trade agenda.
Astatementpublished by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s office on September 21 revealed that Uzbek and Georgian officials have already signed anagreementto establish Uzbek warehousing and transport facilities at the Georgian Black Sea port of Poti.
A feasibility study is being planned, the statement added.
Uzbek trade officials also have plans to get involved in the expansion of Caspian port infrastructure at Aktau in Kazakhstan, Turkmenbashi in Turkmenistan and Baku on the sea’s western shore.
In addition, Uzbekistan is angling for access to the planned Georgian port ofAnaklia, a project plagued byfinancing uncertaintyand construction delays.
Uzbekistan first announced its interest inobtaining a stakein Anaklia following Mirziyoyev’s state visit to Georgia in early July.
“These projects will allow for the diversification of supply routes to foreign markets for textile, chemical, agricultural, and mining and metallurgical products,” according to the Mirziyoyev statement.
It noted that financing to build out Tashkent’s trade blueprint remains an open question.
Uzbekistan is concurrently working to improve transit connectivity among the logistics centers, developing plans to fully electrify the country’s domestic freight rail network and add high-speed rail sections, while improving infrastructure at airports across the country.
Beyond the country’s borders, officials are exploring the possibility of Uzbek involvement in the development ofTRIPP, envisioned as a key conduit for Middle Corridor trade enabling the passage of goods from Azerbaijan to Turkey via Armenian territory, the statement added.
Specifically, Uzbek officials are pondering an investment in the refurbishment of a railway section in the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan to open access to Turkish ports at Samsun and Istanbul.
Another important aspect of Uzbekistan’s strategy involves the digitalization of freight transport, both to reduce transit times and to reduce the role of the shadow economy in trade.
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