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Kazakhstan and Iran have signed an investment agreement for the construction of a logistics center at Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas, located on the northern shore of the Strait of Hormuz.

The facility is expected to be built in the port’s rear area on a site of around 15 hectares, with total investment estimated at $25 million.

According to Iranian port officials, the project is being developed with a strong focus on rail-based cargo transport and will include a specialized rail terminal. It is expected to operate as part of a broader chain of logistics hubs linking Kazakhstan, Shahid Rajaee Port, and other shipping points in order to strengthen regional transit flows.

The agreement is valid for 27 years, including two years for construction, with terms to be reviewed every five years. The future logistics center is expected to handle around 1.5 million tons of cargo.

The project reflects Kazakhstan’s broader strategy to expand its transport and transit access through Iran and to create additional infrastructure for handling both domestic and Central Asian cargo flows.

China and Tajikistan have agreed to prepare a feasibility study for the reconstruction of infrastructure at the Kulma / Karasu border crossing. The cost of this stage is estimated at 1.42 million yuan, and according to available information, it will be covered by the Chinese side.

Tajikistan, for its part, is expected to ensure the safety of Chinese specialists and simplify import and export procedures for equipment needed to implement the project.

The exact facilities and infrastructure elements to be upgraded have not yet been officially disclosed. However, the project is strategically important: Kulma / Karasu is the only land border crossing between China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and Tajikistan’s Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region.

The crossing has been operating since 2004, and since 2016 it has functioned year-round. Plans for modernization were already being discussed in 2023, including in connection with road repairs on the Tajik side. According to Tajikistan’s Ministry of Transport, 472,800 tons of cargo passed through the checkpoint in 2023.

For the region, this is more than an infrastructure upgrade — it is a step toward stronger transport connectivity between China and Central Asia.

Construction has begun in Uzbekistan on a new 28-km electrified railway line, Khavast–Dashtabad. The route will run between the Syrdarya and Jizzakh regions, south of Tashkent, and is expected to increase the capacity of one of the country’s key rail corridors — the Tashkent–Samarkand line. At the same time, the project cost, completion timeline, and future traffic parameters have not yet been officially disclosed.