Silk Road Economic Belt to boost prosperity in central Asia

BEIJING - Tajik Ambassador to China Rashid Alimov has said the Silk Road Economic Belt initiative proposed by China will bring ties between central Asia and Asia Pacific closer while helping achieve common prosperity.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua during the annual parliamentary session, Alimov said the Silk Road Economic Belt initiative is of great importance for Tajikstan, a country with no sea access.

"A major communication line from central Asia to a coastal area is significant for the development of Tajikistan and other central Asian countries," Alimov said.

He said access to major infrastructure will facilitate flows of people, goods and thoughts through the area. Like the ancient Silk Road, it will not only facilitate trade but also create conditions for exchanges between different civilizations.

The Silk Road Economic Belt, to Tajikstan, means a series of major infrastructure projects, including roads, railways and part of a natural gas pipeline linking Turkmenistan and China via Tajikstan, Alimov said.

Under the framework, Tajikstan has a lot of cooperation projects with China that can make them a critical "transit country" between China and other countries.

This year, Alimov said, a series of cooperation projects will be carried out between the two countries, including an industrial zone in Tajikstan and natural gas pipeline project that will help local farmers get jobs and more income.

"The Silk Road Economic Belt is not only a concept now. Instead, it has already been changing the lives of ordinary people," Alimov said.