Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan denied reports on holding-up railway cargoes, following to territory of Tajikistan.

The ministry’s press service said that recently some information agencies are spreading false and ungrounded materials on situation related to transit of railway wagons with cargos through territory of Uzbekistan, following to Tajik territory, quoting officials of Tajikistan.

Despite objective facts and elementary logic, officials of Tajikistan are continuing state on “holding-up cargoes in the Uzbek territory”, supposedly which is main “negative consequences for stability and economic security of Tajikistan”. Provocative accusations on so-called “railway blockade” by Uzbekistan renewed, the ministry added.

Facts and existing statistic data prove that the statements of the Tajik officials do not correspond to reality and have any real ground. In particular:

• According to official data of Uzbekistan Customs Services, transit of cargoes to Tajikistan is not decreasing and it is stably growing. So, in nine months of 2010 the volume of cargo turnover with railway transport through territory of Uzbekistan to Tajikistan made up 57,192 wagons with total weight of 3,095 million tonnes against 1,780 wagons and 220,304 tonnes in the same period of 2009.
• Statistics of Uzbekistan Temir Yollari also shows that the growth of cargo transit to Tajikistan grew by 2% in nine months of 2010.

It is worth to mention that the statements of Tajik officials contradict to official Tajik statistics. In line with the Tajik statistics, foreign trade turnover of Tajikistan rose by 3.6% to US$2.634 billion in nine months of 2010. At the same time, the country’s exports rose by 14% and import almost stayed in the same level of 2009. Tajikistan’s GDP rose by 6.2%. Taking into account that foreign trade turnover of Tajikistan is ensured through railways (Sogd, Dushanbe and Hatlon areas of Tajik railway) connected with Uzbekistan, Tajikistan could not achieve above-mentioned results in case of “transport blockade”. Macroeconomic figures of Tajikistan show that statements of Tajik officials are groundless.

The ministry also underlined that it is technically imposable to hold-up and keep large number of wagons in territory of Uzbekistan as the country does not possesses long local railways, which also serves as evidence for groundless and far-fetched claims of Tajik side. This could paralyze railways of Uzbekistan and result in catastrophic consequences to economy of Uzbekistan.

Taking into account above-mentioned, Uzbekistan Foreign Affairs Ministery stated:

• The Uzbek side is fully implementing its obligations on cargo transit from and to Tajikistan within existing bilateral and multilateral agreements.
• Separate problems with transit delays of cargo to Tajikistan through territory of Uzbekistan are due to technical and logistic character and are due to sharp growth of cargo turnover and overload of Uzbekistan’s railway structure, necessity to carry out repair works in separate areas of railway.
• The growth of cargo turnover is also connected with implementation of obligation of Uzbekistan in line with international agreements on transit of non-military and humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.
• The Uzbek side confirms its adherence and readiness to constructive consideration of emerging problems, searching mutually accepted decisions within the negotiations. Ungrounded accusations and states of Tajikistan officials against Uzbekistan do not contribute to development of good neighborhood and mutual beneficial relations between two states, undermine trust and mutual understanding in inter-state relations.