DUSHANBE, March 26, 2010, Asia-Plus — Two days ago, Uzbek officials allowed cargo cars carrying alumina, foodstuffs and some chemicals to move into Tajikistan, however, cargo cars loaded with building materials, fuel, bulldozers and excavators which are so necessary for Tajikistan have still been stranded on Uzbek territory, Andrei Tropin, deputy head of the shipment department within Tajik Railways, told Asia-Plus today.
According to him, 938 freight cars bound for Tajikistan are still being held up in Uzbekistan. “Railroad cars carrying diesel fuel, aviation kerosene, gasoline, bulldozers and excavators as well as other strategically important cargo are still being held up in Uzbekistan,” said Tropin, “Fuels are intended for civil aviation, construction of the Roghun HPP and spring sowing campaign.”
“On March 25, we received a note from the Uzbek Embassy in Dushanbe, but it did not contain any intelligible explanation for blocking passage of Tajikistan-bound freight trains through Uzbek territory,” said the Tajik railways official, “The Tajik Railways administration is currently taking efforts to solve this problem.”
Tajik officials estimate that if the blockade continues, it could inflict millions of dollars” worth of damage on the Tajik economy.
We will recall that Tajik MFA summoned the Uzbek Ambassador to Tajikistan Shokasim Shoislamov on March 22 to hand over a protest note about blocked rail freight. Davlat Nazriyev, a spokesman for Tajik MFA, said Tajikistan hopes for Tashkent”s cooperation in expediting the forward passage of some 1,000 freight cars bound for Tajikistan. He said the freight cars are being held up at the Khavos, Qarshi, Jayron, and Kudukli stations in Uzbekistan.
Speaking at a news conference at the UN Headquarters in News York, Tajik Prime Minister Oqil Oqilov on March 23 described Uzbekistan’s claims that rail delays have allegedly been caused by technical problems as lame excuses. According to him, the Uzbek railroads are in satisfactory condition to allow for the transportation of cargo trains without hindrance.
