An International Conference “Central Asia as Transcontinental Transportation Bridge: Potential and Prospects of Development” will be held on November 19, 2007 at international “Business Center” of Tashkent. Organizer of the event is the Center for Political Studies with assistance of the Ministry for Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Experts of leading research centers of Central, South and South-East Asia, the CIS, Middle, Near and Far East and Europe, representatives of international organizations (SCO, EurAsEC, UN and etc. will take part at the conference. Representatives of profile government structures and companies specializing in transport and cargo shipment are invited as well.
An actuality of this international conference is determined by the fact that an issue of transport communications development is among vital ones for Central Asian region.
From the moment of obtaining their independence all Central Asian states took their courses on overcoming the lack of balance in their traditional systems oriented on intracontinental routes and finding diversified access to world markets and ocean ports. Increasing of the quality and quantity of motor and railway roads, air communication and pipelines aimed to make the region integral part of continental and world transport system.
At present communicative sector formation is reasoned by the necessity to strengthen transport support of the process of development of Central Asian states economies. They demonstrate rapid integration into global economies and commodity turnover with other continental markets increases. In this case the growth rate of the transport capacity potential must not only keep up with indices to economic progress of Central Asian states and their turnover with other partners but also surpass them in some positions, creating reserve for the future.
Development of the transport system of Central Asia is also considering as vital from the point of formation of the region as transit bridge in continental cargo shipment in North-South and West-East direction. Today the largest volume of cargo between Asia and Europe is conveying by sea transport across the Indian ocean, the Suez Canal and the Strait of Malacca. But these communications are too loaded and that fact gives Central Asian region big opportunities to become an alternative route for transport communications and load-exchange.
These issues would be at the corner of international conference in Tashkent. It is expected to discuss a number of actual problems. Diversification of transport routes passing through the region, determination of communicative potential of Central Asia are among them.
Special attention would be paid to consideration of the role of international projects in development of Central Asian transport system; prospects of creation of the Central Asian transit bridge and re-export operations along the whole length. Invited experts would give their views on geopolitical processes and their influence on formatting Central Asian transport and energy corridors.
On results of the conference special collection of articles would be published.
