BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 2. Ukraine and
Uzbekistan have agreed to liberalize bilateral and transit road
freight transportation, allowing Ukrainian carriers to operate
between the two countries without transport permits on Sept. 30 via
an online meeting.
This was reflected in the statement by Ukraine’s Minister for
Recovery, Infrastructure and Transport, Mykola Kalashnyk.
Kalashnyk and Uzbekistan’s Transport Minister Ilkhom Makhkamov
signed a protocol introducing the new permit-free regime, which is
expected to reduce administrative procedures and waiting times for
freight operators.
“For Ukrainian carriers, this means fewer administrative
procedures and less time spent on permits. Freight transportation
will no longer depend on the number of available permits,”
Kalashnyk said.
The agreement comes as Ukraine seeks to develop alternative
logistics routes to Central Asia following major disruptions to
traditional transportation links caused by the full-scale war.
Trade between Ukraine and Uzbekistan reached about $315 million
in 2025, an increase of 14% from the previous year, according to
Kalashnyk. The liberalization of road freight transportation is
expected to facilitate trade and create additional opportunities
for businesses in both countries.
Ukraine has been expanding its network of permit-free freight
agreements as part of efforts to simplify international road
transportation. According to Kalashnyk, the country now has
liberalized freight transportation with 38 countries, including EU
member states.
The new protocol is expected to provide Ukrainian and Uzbek
carriers with greater flexibility in organizing bilateral and
transit shipments and support the development of alternative trade
routes between Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
