Uzbekistan
CAREC in Uzbekistan
As one of only two double-landlocked countries in the world, Uzbekistan must ship its exports over long distances through Kazakhstan in the north and northwest, the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan in the east and southeast, Turkmenistan in the southwest, and Afghanistan in the south.
The CAREC Program helps address Uzbekistan’s logistical challenges by developing regional transport corridors. These corridors enable the country to derive greater benefit from the wealth that lies under its valleys, plains, and mountain ranges—in the form of gold, copper, uranium, natural gas, and oil. Uzbekistan is also one of the world’s biggest producers of cotton.
Uzbekistan is committed to upgrading its roads that are part of CAREC’s six priority corridors, and is helping Afghanistan by sharing its expertise in railway modernization. Uzbekistan is also exploring the possibility of establishing a stable regional energy grid encompassing a vast area stretching from the People’s Republic of China in the east to Azerbaijan in the west, and from Kazakhstan in the north to Pakistan’s warm-water ports in the south.
Key Projects
As of 2023, more than $13.04 billion has been invested in Uzbekistan through CAREC. These projects are based on the principle that better connections among CAREC countries and with global markets will be key in unlocking the region’s vast resources and human potential.
CAREC Corridor 2, Corridor 3, and Corridor 6 transit Uzbekistan. CAREC projects have upgraded the country’s already extensive rail network. This expanded transport infrastructure has made the movement of people and cargo within the country and across borders easier and less costly, thereby increasing trade and improving access to essential services and jobs.