Digital Integration of Eurasian Transport: Russia's Experience in Electronic Freight Documentation and Unmanned Logistics

Abstract:

This article examines Russia's strategy regarding international cooperation in transport digitalization and autonomous logistics technologies, anchored in an established technological and regulatory foundation rather than isolated pilot efforts. The paper spans four interconnected domains: mandatory adoption of electronic cargo documentation via the State Information System for Electronic Transport Documents (GIS EPD), effective September 1, 2026; deployment of navigation seals within the EAEU framework; operationalizing international autonomous freight corridors—including the world's first cross-border autonomous haul between Russia and Kazakhstan; and scaling the National Center for Digital Transport Logistics (NCDTL) as an integration hub for partner nations' digital platforms. Within this framework, bilateral relations between Uzbekistan and Russia serve as a cornerstone for advancing Eurasian transport corridors.

Russia's overarching objective centers on co-creating shared technological frameworks: unified standards, interoperable digital platforms, standardized data exchange protocols, and harmonized regulatory demands. This model addresses a foundational dynamic in global logistics: efficiency gains from digitalization materialize exclusively when platforms and regulatory regimes function coherently along the entirety of a transit route, amplifying the impact of the digital economy in international relations. The paper subsequently evaluates Uzbekistan's strategic role as a Central Asian regional hub positioned along trade routes linking Russia, Kazakhstan, China, South Asia, and the Middle East. Underpinned by comprehensive interdisciplinary scientific research, the article concludes that Uzbekistan is well-positioned to become a premier corridor where digital transport architectures are deployed as a unified international logistical system.

Keywords: electronic cargo documents, GIS EPD, transport digitalization, autonomous logistics corridors, navigation seals, EAEU, Uzbekistan, NCDTL, relations between Uzbekistan and Russia, Eurasian transport corridors, digital economy in international relations, interdisciplinary scientific research.