Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The second meeting of transport ministers from Central Asian countries and China took place in Astana, with official delegations from six countries in attendance. Kazakhstan was represented by Minister of Transport Marat Karabayev; the People's Republic of China by Minister of Transport Liu Wei; the Kyrgyz Republic by Minister of Transport and Communications Absattar Syrgabayev; Tajikistan by Minister of Transport Azim Ibrohim; Turkmenistan by Director General of the Agency of Transport and Communications under the Cabinet of Ministers Mammetkhan Chakiyev; and Uzbekistan by First Deputy Minister of Transport Mamanbiy Omarov.

Participants discussed the current state of the transport sector both regionally and globally, as well as the prospects for more fully utilizing the existing potential in economic, trade, and humanitarian cooperation between China and the Central Asian states.

The heads of transport agencies emphasized the importance of developing a joint multilateral cooperation program in the transport sector. This program would facilitate the introduction of electronic document exchange, enable online tracking of cargo shipments, and simplify international road transport procedures — including the digitization of the exchange of foreign permit forms (FPEs).

At the conclusion of the meeting, two documents were signed: a Memorandum of Understanding on the digitalization of international road transport, and a Memorandum of Understanding between the respective transport ministries.

Special attention was given to simplifying border crossing procedures between China and Central Asian countries for both road and rail transport.

The parties highlighted the importance of deepening cooperation in the training of professional personnel and expressed support for the creation of a mechanism for interaction among research and analytical institutions.

In addition, participants underscored the need to strengthen cooperation in the field of transport education as a foundation for the scientific and technical support required for the implementation of joint international transport projects.