KAZAKHSTAN: Speaking at the 25th meeting of the Council of Foreign Investors on May 22, President Nursultan Nazarbayev set out his vision for a 'New Silk Road' strategy to exploit the country's potential as an east-west and north-south transit hub by 2020.
Rail projects in the strategy include the completion by 2015 of an 988 km east-west railway to fill the gap between Zhezkazgan and Beineu, and a 214 km line to link Arkalyk and Shubarkol.