DUSHANBE, May 25. “Asia Plus” -- Tajik entrepreneurs urge rail officials of Khatlon district to provide assistance for transit of rail cargoes which, they say, unreasonably blocked on the territory of neighboring Uzbekistan.

According to first deputy head of rail transportations of the Tajik Railroad Andrey Tropin, Uzbekistan suspended transit of rail cargoes to Khatlon direction since May 18. Last 8 wagons arrived on May 22 and not a single wagon entered Khatlon region after extreme disasters which occurred in Khatlon district in early May, he said.

According to Tropin, as of May 24 more than 2,500 wagons loaded with cargoes for Tajikistan, including 1000 wagons with cargoes for Khatlon, remain blocked on the territory of Uzbekistan. “These wagons include 620 wagons with fuel, 127 wagons with cement, 83 wagons with liquid gas, 37 wagons with bitumen and so forth,” Mr Tropin has said, adding that these are wagons which were registered by the Tajik Railroad.

Heavy mudflows which occurred in Tajikistan on 7-8 May caused severe economic damage to Tajikistan which is estimated at more than $600 million. Following the disaster Uzbekistan resumed transit of rail cargoes to Khatlon district.

Earlier Uzbek officials have also responded to Tajikistan’s claims regarding the suspension of rail wagons. Jahon news agency has distributed a message which said that “a series of media editions speculate information about Uzbekistan’s “transport blockade” of Tajikistan’s rail cargoes.”

This message explains that the blockage of transit of rail cargoes to Tajikistan through the territory of Uzbekistan is mainly connected with technical, logistic problems and appear to be the direct result of increased cargo traffic and overload of rail infrastructure of the republic, while Tajikistan accuses Uzbekistan of violation of previously achieved normative and legal documents in the field of international transit of rail cargoes and an attempt to politize this issue bringing it out of bilateral format.

“However, such statements made by Tajikistan have no ground and therefore bear illegal character and attempts of Dushanbe to appeal to various international organizations cause nothing but bewilderment,” the message says.

Tajik rail officials, on their turn, disagree with the reasons their Uzbek colleagues provide and claim that Uzbekistan intentionally blocks rail cargoes.