Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Today, for the first time, a container train of the SCO Express Lines left the China-SCO Pilot Zone (Qingdao) for the city of Samarkand, Dunyo news agency reported.

The special train, consisting of a total of 100 standard containers with equipment, spare parts and essentials, is the 18th international line of the China-SCO Pilot Zone in Qingdao, aimed at further expanding the interconnectedness between China and the countries of Central Asia and Europe.

The train is expected to arrive in Samarkand in about 10 days.

The opening of the special line Qingdao-Samarkand is an important initiative of the China-SCO Pilot Zone to implement the spirit of the 22nd meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO Member States, held on 15-16 September in Samarkand.

According to the organizers, the new route will further expand the international logistics channel between China and the countries of Central Asia and further Europe, deepening economic and trade cooperation between friendly states by building a "steel bridge" on the New Silk Road.

It should be noted that to date, the China-SCO Pilot Zone has opened 17 international railway lines in Dushanbe (Tajikistan), Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Hamburg (Germany) and others. As a result, from January to August 2022, 523 trains were sent on the China-Europe route, which is 46.1% more than in the same period last year.

In the future, it is planned to expand the geography of railway transportation from China to Europe through 22 countries along the SCO and the One Belt and One Road.

The China-SCO Pilot Zone has been constantly expanding friendly and pragmatic cooperation with Uzbekistan since its inception. Partnerships have been established with the Jizzakh Free Economic Zone and the Penshen Industrial Park in Syrdarya region. A branch of the Uzbek Commodity Exchange and the first China-Uzbekistan offshore incubator are located in the China-SCO Pilot Zone to further strengthen exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in digital trade, science and technology and other fields.