Abstract
Central Asia was a highly-developed region during the Great Silk Route period, and the region was intensively involved in international trade, economic, and cultural exchange. But after the decline of the Great Silk Route in the sixteenth century, the development of Central Asia started to stagnate. It is time to learn from our past and rebuild wide and strong regional and international cooperation. Central Asian republics in partnership with other countries should be actively involved in the process of building transport arteries and economic communication connecting Europe and Asia , the West and the East. The “Belt and Road” in this regards presents opportunities, as well as challenges, in the region.
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Notes
- 1.
British Petroleum, BP Statistical Review of World Energy. June 2015.
- 2.
Over 10 million people are living in the Namangan, Ferghana, and Andijan regions of Uzbekistan, and during the Soviet era highway and the train communication between Uzbek regions in Ferghana Valley and Tashkent went through Tajikistan. Since that time, it has been very strategically important for Uzbekistan to have safe and continual transport communication links between the Ferghana Valley and rest of the republic.
- 3.
The Angren–Pap line is 123 km long, but, in the high mountainous area, some locations are above 2000 m, the overall costs of this project is over US$1.6 billion, including more US$1 billion from “Uzbekistan Temir Yollari” and the National reconstruction and development Fund (Uzbekistan), US$350 million, and US$195 million loans from China’s Eximbank and the World Bank, respectively. In 2013, construction began, and by 2016 more than ten new bridges and several railway stations had been constructed plus two tunnels, including one 19.1 km long built by the Chinese company China Railway Tunnel Group.
- 4.
In particularly, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan exports electro-energy to Afghanistan; in addition Uzbekistan built a number bridges, highways, and a railway in the country. Kazakhstan is exporting wheat and other goods and carries out various educational projects in Kazakhstan for Afghan students. India contributed more US$2 billion for reconstruction and various educational and social programs in Afghanistan.
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Rakhimov, M. (2018). Contemporary Central Asia: Balancing Between Chinese and Trans-Asian ‘Silk Road’ Diplomacy. In: Deepak, B. (eds) China's Global Rebalancing and the New Silk Road . Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5972-8_10
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