Uzbekistan will become one of the points of the international expedition ‘Great Silk Road 2017.’ It will be headed by a Polish reporter and researcher, member of the Russian Geographical Society, member of the Royal Geographical Society in London Jacek Pałkiewicz.
The traveler told about the project, scheduled for May-June 2017, during a press conference held at the Embassy of Poland in Uzbekistan:
“25 years ago, I have been in your country, visited all the historical centers of the republic. Most of all I remembered the hospitality of the people, about whom I repeatedly mentioned in my books. I have visited many countries, but such a warm welcome met not everywhere.
The precondition for the new large-scale project turned my old dream to pass along the Great Silk Road. Although I have been to many countries in this road, I never traveled it from beginning to end. Another stimulus was the initiative ‘One Belt, One Road’, put forward by the President of China. It is aimed at the creation of economic zones, transport network linking China with Central Asian countries and the so-called Old World. Our expedition will overcome the long route for more than 10 thousand kilometers from China to Poland through Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus. It largely follows the historic Great Silk Road, and even begins from Xian city, as it was centuries ago.
The team composed of several dozen people, including journalists, photographer and writer. In each country, we will be joined by a local TV crew. A book will be written by the end of the expedition, as well as documentary film produced, and dozens of publications and reports in the media of several countries.
This project is not just travel. We want to draw attention to the countries located along the route of the expedition. Uzbekistan possesses great tourism potential, which is not found anywhere else in the world. The historical wealth that remained in the country can be developed and used for the attraction of tourists. We hope that the expedition will contribute to the strengthening of relations with Asian countries in the field of cultural and scientific exchanges, the creation of new and expansion of existing capacity in the field of international economy and business.”