Tajikistan is working to launch a new multimodal transport corridor to Turkey.

In January 2026, a convoy of 10 freight trucks departed from Uzbekistan, traversed Tajikistan, and headed towards the Chinese border, marking the start of the substantive testing phase for the "Tajikistan-Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Turkey" multimodal transport corridor.

This new corridor is a key component of Tajikistan's actively promoted international transport network. The country's Ministry of Transport stated that this initiative aims to ensure the stability of the logistics system and improve customer satisfaction.

01 Corridor Strategic Positioning and Testing Progress

The new multimodal transport corridor promoted by Tajikistan is fully planned as "China-Tajikistan-Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan-Iran-Turkey-Europe," aiming to shorten transit times and reduce logistics costs. The corridor was first proposed at the Dushanbe International Conference in 2022 and was discussed again during the Samarkand International Road Transport Joint Committee meeting in December 2025.

This test run stemmed from direct talks between Tajik Transport Minister Azim Ibrahim and Uzbek Transport Minister Ilhom Mahakamov. During the talks, the two countries not only finalized the test arrangements but also reached an agreement on an international electronic permitting mechanism for road transport, laying the foundation for facilitating cross-border logistics.

The test convoy will traverse a carefully planned route between the two countries, with the ultimate goal of verifying the feasibility of a complete multimodal transport corridor. This corridor is designed to bypass congested nodes on traditional routes and significantly shorten freight transport time between China and Europe through optimized route combinations.

02 Tajikistan's Transportation Network Layout

Currently, 10 international transport corridors pass through Tajikistan. These corridors belong to cooperation frameworks such as the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) and the Europe-Caucasus-Asia Transport Corridor (TRACECA). Tajikistan has signed a total of 54 related documents, including 27 bilateral agreements with 16 countries.

In September 2025, Tajikistan and China signed an international road transport agreement, which not only covers bilateral transport but also allows goods to be transported through Chinese territory to third countries and for transit transport. In addition, an agreement between Tajikistan and Serbia on international passenger and freight transport has been approved and is awaiting ratification.

To further expand cooperation, the Tajik Ministry of Transport also plans to sign bilateral international road transport agreements with Lithuania, Turkey, Bulgaria, Moldova, and Estonia. This series of agreements demonstrates that Tajikistan is systematically expanding its international logistics network.

03 Border Crossing Upgrades and Supporting Infrastructure Construction

To ensure the efficient operation of the new logistics corridor, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are simultaneously modernizing their border crossings. The Yartpa-Sarazim border crossing, located between Samarkand and Penjikent, has been selected as a core hub and is planned to be expanded into a fully functional modern logistics center.

According to the plan, the upgraded crossing will be able to handle the customs clearance needs of up to 100 freight trucks daily, and document processing time will be significantly reduced through process optimization. The port upgrade plan is not limited to improving logistics functions, but also includes the improvement of comprehensive supporting services.

The plan shows that the hub will include a diagnostic center capable of serving 150 to 200 people daily, and a commercial complex accommodating 800 entrepreneurs. These supporting facilities aim to attract commercial and service enterprises to cluster, forming a port economic zone with logistics as its core and diversified business formats developing in synergy.

04 Regional Economic and Geostrategic Background

Tajikistan's underlying motivation for promoting the new corridor stems from its economic development needs. Tajikistan is the smallest of the five Central Asian countries, with a GDP of only US$12.1 billion in 2023 and a per capita GDP of approximately US$1,189. About 93% of its land area is mountainous, earning it the nickname "High Mountain Country," with less than 7% arable land.

Despite its weak economic foundation, Tajikistan is extremely rich in natural resources. More than 50 types of minerals have been discovered, with over 600 proven deposits. Its reserves of silver, lead, zinc, and uranium rank first in Central Asia. Tajikistan possesses uranium reserves accounting for 14% of the global total and silver reserves of nearly 100,000 tons.

Meanwhile, Tajikistan is also extremely rich in water resources, accounting for almost 60% of Central Asia's total, with an annual hydropower capacity of 527 billion kilowatt-hours, ranking eighth in the world. However, less than 10% of these resources have been developed, necessitating the use of transportation infrastructure to support large-scale development.

05 China-Tajikistan Cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative Alignment

In July 2024, China and Tajikistan issued a joint statement announcing further deepening of cooperation on the China-Europe Railway Express within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, constructing the China-Tajikistan-Afghanistan transportation corridor, and jointly building a multimodal transport corridor connecting China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Turkey.

Tajikistan was one of the first countries to support the Belt and Road Initiative and the first to sign a memorandum of understanding with China on jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt. Strengthening transportation infrastructure construction is a priority highly valued by the Tajik government.

According to Tajik statistics, Tajikistan attracted $257 million in investment from China in 2022, of which $192 million was direct investment, accounting for 74% of Tajikistan's total foreign direct investment during the same period. These investments mainly flowed to sectors such as transportation infrastructure.

06 Hardware Infrastructure Construction and Challenges

In the 32 years since independence, Tajikistan has implemented 58 road construction and renovation projects, with a total investment of $2.2 billion, resulting in the construction, repair, and renovation of 2,407.8 kilometers of roads and 274 bridges. Currently, Tajikistan is implementing 17 highway construction projects with a total investment exceeding $1.2 billion, and more than ten railway construction projects with a total investment exceeding $7.5 billion.

Tajikistan plans to invest $100 million to build several regionally and internationally significant logistics complexes within the framework of the "Tajikistan Logistics System Development Plan 2023-2028." These projects will further improve Tajikistan's transit transport conditions.

To strengthen transportation links between China and Tajikistan, both sides agreed to modernize the Karasu-Kolmai border crossing. This border crossing is the only land route between China and Tajikistan, but due to weather conditions, it is only open from June 26th to October 31st each year.

07 Regional Logistics Competition Landscape and Strategic Significance

The advancement of this new corridor is essentially a proactive move by Central Asian countries to seek a higher strategic position in the global logistics landscape. As competition among trade routes across Eurasia intensifies, Central Asian countries, traditionally transit regions, are actively seeking to transform from passive "passages" to proactive "hubs."

The successful operation of the corridor will directly enhance Central Asia's hub status in global trade. By providing a faster and more economical logistics option, the corridor is expected to divert some of the cargo flow from traditional routes, altering the balance of power in regional logistics. This will not only bring stable transit revenue to the countries along the route but also promote the development and upgrading of related industries.

For Tajikistan, this new corridor will help it transition from a "resource-rich country" to a "transit country," gaining more initiative in regional economic cooperation. Tajik President Rahmon once stated, "We need a road! Otherwise, we'll fall behind China."

The test convoy continued its journey along the Pamir Plateau highway towards the Chinese border. Upgrading and renovation of Tajikistan's border crossings are underway, with the Yartpa-Sarazim border crossing being expanded into a logistics hub, planned to handle up to 100 freight trucks daily.

As the new corridor gradually transforms from concept to reality, Tajikistan, Central Asia's smallest economy, is leveraging its geographical advantages to reposition itself as a key node in the Eurasian trade network.