Russia seeks to create direct land routes with Uzbekistan — Deputy Prime Minister

MOSCOW, May 14. /TASS/. Russia is seeking to create direct land routes with Uzbekistan, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin announced on his Telegram channel during the 16th International Economic Forum "Russia - Islamic World: KazanForum." "I remember well traveling to Tashkent by Kamaz truck. Back then, part of the route lacked proper roads, so overall, we will strive to create direct land communication routes between our countries," the post read. Khusnullin also noted that during a working meeting with Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Jamshid Khodjaev on the sidelines of the forum, special attention was paid to transport infrastructure, which will open up new opportunities for trade and logistics, as well as prospects for developing the International North-South Transport Corridor. The Deputy Prime Minister added that, despite external challenges, relations between Russia and Uzbekistan have historically been characterized by friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation. The partnership between the two nations continues to show steady growth, with new areas of cooperation and projects emerging. He noted that high-level interaction between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Shavkat Mirziyoyev plays a crucial role in this process. Reports show that trade turnover is growing, with 80 Russian regions currently involved in economic cooperation with Uzbekistan, and more than 3,000 enterprises with Russian capital operating in the republic. Positive trends are also observed in the volume of Russian investment in the Uzbek economy, which exceeds 4 trillion rubles ($54.6 bln). Khusnullin expressed gratitude to the Uzbek leadership for its consistent support of bilateral ties, stating that together, Russia and Uzbekistan can achieve even greater success for the benefit of the people of both countries.