BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 27. Uzbekistan and
France are exploring new areas of cooperation in urban
transportation, sustainable mobility, and digital transport
planning during a meeting on October 27 in Tashkent.
According to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Transport, Uzbek Transport
Minister Ilkhom Makhkamov met with a French delegation led by
Gérard Wolf, Special Envoy to France’s Ministry for Europe and
Foreign Affairs for Sustainable Cities and Transport, and French
Ambassador to Uzbekistan Walid Fouque.
Representatives of French companies Alstom, IVECO and Dassault
Systèmes also attended the meeting.
The discussions focused on Uzbekistan’s transport development
priorities, including improving urban public transportation and
introducing multimodal solutions to strengthen connectivity within
cities and between urban areas and their surrounding regions.
Particular attention was given to training local operators and
technical specialists to ensure the long-term operation and
maintenance of different modes of urban transport. The sides also
discussed developing an integrated transport system combining
trains, metro services and road transportation to support
sustainable mobility.
Wolf emphasized the importance of decarbonization, efficiency,
and multimodal transport solutions in planning the transport system
for New Tashkent, the emerging urban development project near the
Uzbek capital.
Additionally, the French side proposed cooperation between
Uzbekistan and Dassault Systèmes on developing digital twins for
logistics hubs and planning transport networks. Digital twins are
virtual models of physical infrastructure that can help planners
simulate operations and assess potential changes before
implementing them.
In addition, the French delegation proposed organizing a working
visit by Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Transport to France. The visit
would include familiarization with Paris-Saclay, a major French
research and innovation cluster, as well as French experience in
urban transport management and sustainable urban development.
The discussions reflect efforts to draw on French technological
expertise to support Uzbekistan’s transport modernization, improve
urban connectivity, and incorporate sustainability into the
planning of new urban areas.
