Uzbekistan aims to become the main transport hub of Central Asia - betting on cooperation with South Korea

Uzbekistan intends to strengthen its status as a key transport and logistics hub in Central Asia, actively developing cooperation with South Korea. This was stated by diplomat Alisher Abdusalomov in an interview with the South Korean publication AJP. According to him, effective diplomacy should lead to the creation of production chains, investments and new jobs.

Since Uzbekistan is landlocked, the country is betting on the development of railway infrastructure. One example of such cooperation is the high-speed train Jaloliddin Manguberdi, created by the South Korean company Hyundai Rotem. It is currently undergoing test runs on the Tashkent–Khiva route. The authorities are considering not only the purchase of trains, but also the creation of service centers for their maintenance, repair and local assembly of components.

Infrastructure modernization is part of the "Uzbekistan-2030" strategy, aimed at bringing the country into the top 50 largest economies in the world. In addition to transport, cooperation with South Korea includes the development of digital solutions — e-government, intelligent logistics and big data analytics. Joint projects are also being implemented in the aviation sector, in particular during the modernization of Urgench International Airport in cooperation with Incheon Airport Corporation, which is considered as a model for the future new airport in Tashkent.