Uzbekistan Quality Job Creation as a Cornerstone for Sustainable Economic Growth

Infrastructure as a Foundation for Job Creation
Uzbekistan is at the center of commerce and trade in Central Asia and at the 
heart of the Great Silk Road, which allows it to provide the shortest routes 
connecting Europe to Asia. These routes are the International Transport 
Corridor Europe–Caucasus–Asia (TRACECA) and three of the six Central 
Asia Regional Economic Corridors (ADB 2009). Furthermore, Central Asia 
Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) projects are ongoing in Uzbekistan 
to help address the country’s logistical challenges (Box 2.1.).
Box 2.1: Uzbekistan and the CAREC Program
The Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) program helps 
address Uzbekistan’s logistical challenges by developing regional transport 
corridors. Uzbekistan joined CAREC in 1997, and, as of 2016, more than
$5.33 billion had been invested in energy and transport projects. These projects 
are based on the principle that better connections among member countries and 
with global markets will be the key to unlocking the region’s vast resources and 
human potential.
Of the six priority CAREC corridors, Corridor 2-a, 2-b (Mediterranean–East Asia); 
Corridor 3a-3b (Russian Federation–Middle East and South Asia); and Corridor 
6-a, 6-b, 6-c (Europe–Middle East and South Asia) transit Uzbekistan. 
Ongoing Transport Projects in Uzbekistan
Project Title
Target Implementation 
Period
CAREC Corridor 2 (Pap-Namangan-Andijan) Railway 
Electrification Project
2017–2022
Second CAREC Corridor 2 Road Investment Program—
Tranche 3
2015–2018
Pap-Angren Railway
2015–2019
Second CAREC Corridor 2 Road Investment Program—
Tranche 2
2012–2020
CAREC Corridor 2 Road Investment Program—Tranche 3
2012–2017
CAREC Corridor 6 (Marakand-Karshi) Railway 
Electrification Project
2011–2018
Second CAREC Corridor 2 Road Investment Program 2—
Tranche 1
2011–2018
Reconstruction and Upgrade of Road in Surkhandarya 
Region (M39) Project
2009–2015
Locomotive Re-Powering Project
2001–2010
CAREC = Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation.
Source: CAREC. http://www.carecprogram.org/index.php?page=transport-projects (accessed 14 December 
2018)

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