Bob Zoellick used his three-day trip to Kazakhstan to announce a $2.5 billion infrastructure project together with Prime Minister Massimov. A trade corridor linking China and Europe by road has long been in the planning pipeline.  It will go from Khorgos near the Chinese border to a place I couldn’t locate on the map. The World Bank calls this town / border crossing Srym, and probably it is located en route following the M32 towards Samara.

The Bank’s contribution will fund the stretch between Chimkent and Aktobe, at a length of 1,025 km. Looking at the map, this project will - if realised properly and within the foreseeable future - nicely link up Bishkek, Tashkent and Almaty with the northern part of Central Asia and ultimately Russia and Europe.

“Following part of the ancient Silk Road that linked East and West, this project will establish a modern transport corridor through Kazakhstan,” said Mr. Zoellick. “It will boost Kazakhstani trade, competitiveness, logistics, and infrastructure connections with the world, while providing an artery for regional economic cooperation.”

In a way, I hope that plenty of feeder roads will be built, too, especially through southern Kyrgyzstan and the Ferghana Valley (linking up Tajikistan).  Otherwise, looking at the whole of Central Asia, the road will mainly benefit the already comparatively prosperous regions.  It takes a lot of trickle down for the Central Asian hinterland to benefit from this, too.