Website www.bnews.kz. Kazakhstan has become a land bridge between Asia and Europe

For the first 9 months of this year 66,000 containers were transported in the direction of China-Europe-China, which is 2 times more than the volume of cargo carried during the same period of last year. This was reported by Mr. Zhenis Kassymbek, Minister of Investments and Development at the meeting of the Government of the RoK, conveys BNews.kz correspondent.

"For the first 9 months of the current year 66,000 containers were transported in the direction of China-Europe-China, which is 2 times more than the volume of cargo carried during the same period of 2015. By 2020, we plan to increase this figure to 800 thousand containers in TEU", - said Mr. Zhenis Kassymbek, Minister of Investments and Development.

He added that the adoption of "Economic belt of the Silk Road" program by China contributes to the realization of strategic objectives for the establishment of Kazakhstan as land bridge between Asia and Europe.

This objective is caused by a geographically advantageous location of Kazakhstan between such large markets as China, the EU and Russia, as well as growing regional trade (EU-China $ 1.1 trillion, China - Russian Federation 68 billion, Russian Federation - Central Asia $ 20 billion).

"This year cooperation plan under pairing the New Economic Policy "Nurly Zhol" and construction of "Silk Road Economic Belt" was signed for work coordination between Kazakhstan and China on transport corridors development and creation of favorable conditions for haulage development, -  said Minister.

In order to implement the transit capacity through the construction of new international corridors, second railway crossing with China - Altynkol station was constructed, "Zhezkazgan Beyneu" line was put into operation, added Mr. Zhenis Kassymbek. It allowed reducing the transport distance for more than 1 thousand km, and also providing a direct rail "exit" from the west of Kazakhstan to the Persian Gulf through "Uzen-Bolashak" railway line.

There are 16 projects in "Nurly Zhol" state program (11 in the field of road, 2 projects in the field of railways, 1 project in the areas of water, civil aviation and logistics), the bulk of which occupies construction and reconstruction of national roads.

"We work on the projects of "Western Europe-Western China", "Center-South" (Astana - Almaty), "Center-East" (Astana-Oskemen), "Center-West" (Aktobe – Atyrau - Aktau), Almaty-Taldykorgan, Astana-Petropavlovsk, cities of Russian Federation and others", - said Minister.