EEC calls for stronger overland routes as Hormuz risks rise

Central Asia has the potential to become a key land bridge linking East and West, as well as North and South, Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Minister Arzybek Kozhoshev said.

According to Kyrgyz media cited by Caliber.Az, Kozhoshev emphasised the growing importance of overland transport routes amid rising risks to maritime logistics. He noted that around 20% of global oil and petroleum products transit through the Strait of Hormuz, and the ongoing crisis in the region poses significant challenges to global supply chains.

“We must strengthen land corridors and routes that do not depend on sea routes. The Eurasian space can become a centre of international trade and logistics. By 2030, cargo traffic through Central Asia may grow to 95 million tonnes, and container transportation to 1.7 million TEU,” Kozhoshev said at the International Transport Forum.

He added that unlocking the region’s geographic potential will require coordinated rules and institutional frameworks, with key roles to be played by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

By Tamilla Hasanova