Monday, July 16, 2012 -
A new system of transit permits imposed by Uzbekistan’s customs service will make it harder for trucks to reach Tajikistan, a Tajik official said Monday.
“The introduction of the new entry and transit permit system by the Uzbek authorities may lead to a decrease in the volumes of cargo transportation via these border crossing checkpoints,” the Asia-Plus.tj news agency reported deputy head of Tajik Customs Service Nemat Rahmatov as saying.
“However, the transportation companies may use an alternative route via Afghan territory.”
The new regulations, which will come into effect on August 1, will require logistics and transportation companies to apply for transit visas to the Uzbek Agency of Motor and River Transport in advance. Currently, transit visas are available on the spot on the border, Rahmatov said.
An estimated 60 trucks are transporting food products per day through Uzbek customs points.
Relations between the two neighboring states have been tense for several years, with Tajikistan undertaking a massive dam project which rankles Uzbek leaders, and Uzbekistan retaliating by blocking trains and impeding vehicles carrying vital food supplies from arriving at the Tajik border.