Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan have decided to reopen road link on M-39 highway, which will decrease travel time from Tashkent to Samarkand.
On 6 January 2017 the Ambassador-At-Large of the Uzbek Foreign Ministry, Ilhomjon Nematov held talks with the governor's office of Southern-Kazakhstan province .
The Kazakh Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Erik Utembaev, the Kazakh Deputy Minister on Investments and Development, Roman Sklyar and the Akim (governor) of Southern Kazakhstan province Janseit Tuymebaev were also present at the meeting.
The sides discussed re-opening in February 2017 of renovated M-39 highway (887.8-911.9 km), which goes via Kazakhstan’s Maktaaral district, and setting a check-point on this highway.
The M-39 was closed in 2006, and the road from Tashkent to Samarkand was diverted through Uzbekistan’s Syrdarya province, thus extending the distance by 65 km.
The Ambassador Utembaev said that the travel distance will decrease by 65 km and reopening of the road will help to strengthen ties between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, promote trade and tourism, and also expressed hope that relations between Tashkent and Southern-Kazakhstan province will further develop.
After the talks, the representatives of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan signed a protocol. The sides expressed assurance that signing of the protocol will help to strengthen bilateral economic ties and boost trade turnover.
