Maritime transport defied the COVID-19 disruption. In 2020, volumes fell less dramatically than expected and by the end of the year had rebounded, laying the foundations for a transformation in global supply chains and new maritime trade patterns.

On account of strategic position of Central Asian countries between Europe and Asia, the European Union is becoming ever more actively interested in a stable partnership with the countries of Central Asia, and seeks to develop relations not only with Central Asia as a whole, but also with each individual state in the region