Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan Agree to Simplify Transit and Launch Direct Flights
Representatives of Uzbekistan's transport and logistics sector met in Tashkent with Turkmenistan's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Shadurdy Meredov. The main topics of the talks were the elimination of administrative barriers, expediting the movement of goods, and expanding transport arteries between the two countries.
The discussion was attended by senior staff from the Center for the Study of Transport Problems, specialists from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan, representatives of the Association of International Road Carriers, and major freight forwarding companies.
Tashkent proposed a set of practical measures to its Turkmen counterparts to optimize border processes. These included switching to electronic visa processing for truck drivers, reducing associated fees, and speeding up inspections at the key Farab-Alat checkpoint to eliminate congestion. Particular emphasis was placed on creating a separate "green corridor" for trucks carrying perishable goods and constructing a second bridge in the neutral zone.
Furthermore, the parties discussed revising weight and dimension restrictions, more actively utilizing the infrastructure of the Turkmenbashi seaport for road and rail routes, and resuming direct scheduled air service between the countries.
The Turkmen diplomatic mission expressed its readiness to promptly submit all initiatives to the relevant government agencies of Turkmenistan for consideration in order to develop joint solutions.
