BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 29. Kazakhstan is the
second-largest investor in the development of transport
infrastructure in the Eurasian region, according to the Eurasian
Development Bank (EDB).


"The largest investments in the development of the Eurasian
transport framework are associated with projects being implemented
in Russia. Its share accounts for 65.3% of total investments, or
$225.2 billion. The second largest investor in the development of
transport infrastructure in the Eurasian region is Kazakhstan,
which is implementing or planning to implement projects worth more
than $32.5 billion, accounting for 9.4% of the total volume," the
bank said in its publication.


The EDB noted that the list of countries implementing or
planning projects with a total value of more than $10 billion by
2035 includes Afghanistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.


"Notably, China is also investing in transport corridor
development projects in the Eurasian region. This financing is
provided both through the participation of Chinese investors in
cross-border public-private partnerships, in particular, for the
creation of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway corridor,
and through direct investments, for example, in the construction of
the Bedel international road checkpoint, the Manas trade and
logistics city, and a coal logistics centre near the Irkeshtam
international road checkpoint in Kyrgyzstan," the EDB said.


The bank noted that the costs of developing transport corridor
infrastructure depend on the size of each country and the scale of
its economy. Most countries in the Eurasian region are developing
and landlocked states. Some of them have mountainous terrain, which
significantly increases the cost of transport construction.







"Taking these factors into account, the scale of investments
required for the construction of transport infrastructure
facilities or modernization of existing sections of transport
corridors can be significant for such countries not only in nominal
terms but also relative to the size of their GDP", the EDB
said.


Meanwhile, Head of the IRU Permanent Representation in Eurasia
Vadim Zakharenko told Trend that Kazakhstan needs to develop its transport
infrastructure and digitalize transit processes to strengthen its
transit potential.


"Kazakhstan’s transportation policy is, first and foremost, of
course, focused on developing the country’s transit potential. In
this regard, Kazakhstan’s geographical location is particularly
important, as approximately 80% of all land freight shipments from
China pass through Kazakhstan.


Therefore, it is crucial to develop physical infrastructure
while simultaneously implementing advanced rules, procedures, and
all aspects of so-called ‘soft measures’ that help accelerate the
flow of goods while ensuring an appropriate level of control and
transparency in the operations carried out," he said.