The first container train left Uzbekistan for Lithuania on December 5. The train with 80 twenty-foot containers will have to cross Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus. The total length of the route is more than 4600 km. In the future, regular transportation of goods along the new corridor should be in demand by Uzbek exporters wishing to supply their products to Europe through the Baltic countries.
Earlier in August, a delegation headed by the Minister of Transport of Uzbekistan Ilkhom Makhkamov visited Lithuania. During the negotiations with the Minister of Transport of Lithuania Marius Skuodis, issues of developing cooperation in the field of transport and logistics, mutual provision of discounts for cargo transportation, creation of favorable conditions for national carriers were discussed.
The parties also agreed to start joint development of new partnership mechanisms aimed at diversifying Uzbekistan’s export routes in the European direction.
According to the vice-president of the Vilnius Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts Tautginas Sankauskas, Uzbekistan is an extremely attractive partner for Lithuania, as it produces a number of goods in demand in Europe that Lithuania could import or supply to other countries.
Lithuania is one of the largest trading partners of Uzbekistan in the EU space and is among the ten partner countries with a high share in Uzbekistan’s imports.
