Uzbekistan, France explore cooperation in urban transport, digital planning

Photo: Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Transport

BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 27. Uzbekistan and France are exploring new areas of cooperation in urban transportation, sustainable mobility, and digital transport planning during a meeting on October 27 in Tashkent.

According to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Transport, Uzbek Transport Minister Ilkhom Makhkamov met with a French delegation led by Gérard Wolf, Special Envoy to France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs for Sustainable Cities and Transport, and French Ambassador to Uzbekistan Walid Fouque.

Representatives of French companies Alstom, IVECO and Dassault Systèmes also attended the meeting.

The discussions focused on Uzbekistan’s transport development priorities, including improving urban public transportation and introducing multimodal solutions to strengthen connectivity within cities and between urban areas and their surrounding regions.

Particular attention was given to training local operators and technical specialists to ensure the long-term operation and maintenance of different modes of urban transport. The sides also discussed developing an integrated transport system combining trains, metro services and road transportation to support sustainable mobility.

Wolf emphasized the importance of decarbonization, efficiency, and multimodal transport solutions in planning the transport system for New Tashkent, the emerging urban development project near the Uzbek capital.

Additionally, the French side proposed cooperation between Uzbekistan and Dassault Systèmes on developing digital twins for logistics hubs and planning transport networks. Digital twins are virtual models of physical infrastructure that can help planners simulate operations and assess potential changes before implementing them.

In addition, the French delegation proposed organizing a working visit by Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Transport to France. The visit would include familiarization with Paris-Saclay, a major French research and innovation cluster, as well as French experience in urban transport management and sustainable urban development.

The discussions reflect efforts to draw on French technological expertise to support Uzbekistan’s transport modernization, improve urban connectivity, and incorporate sustainability into the planning of new urban areas.