EDB: Large-scale transport and logistics projects to help overcome difficulties in Silk Road Economic Belt project developments

Astana, 26 May 2016. Transport infrastructure is of key interest to Eurasian Economic Union's (EEU) countries and China in the context of the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) project, as Evgeny Vinokurov, Director of the EDB Centre for Integration Studies, put it at the Astana Economic Forum (Kazakhstan) during his speech on 26 May 2016. SREB discussions are shifting from general considerations to applied calculations. The next stage will be feasibility studies and, ultimately, the fulfilment of investment projects. The speaker noted that trans-boundary transport and logistics infrastructure projects would have a significant effect within the continent, including increased transit through the EEU, the development of landlocked territories, and modernisation of national economies.
 
Evgeny Vinokurov stated, in particular, that five out of six SREB transport corridors crossing the EEU countries would run directly through Kazakhstan. However, the potential of land transport routes from China, through Central Asia, to Europe is not used today. The main problem is the limited throughput capacity of transport corridors and weak infrastructure. This can be overcome with large-scale transport and logistics projects where Kazakhstan should become the central point.
 
"In arranging cooperation with China with respect to the SREB project, it is important to ensure effective coordination of investments in transport corridors by EEU countries," Evgeny Vinokurov said. "This will help to boost economic performance and enhance competitive advantages."

Additional Information:

Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) is an international financial institution founded by Russia and Kazakhstan in January 2006 with the mission to facilitate the development of market economies, sustainable economic growth, and the expansion of mutual trade and other economic ties in its member states. EDB’s charter capital totals US $7 billion. The member states of the Bank are the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Russian Federation, and the Republic of Tajikistan.

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