Bishkek (TDI): A significant investment deal was inked in Bishkek between Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet of Ministers and the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway Company LLC, marking a major step in the development of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway.
The deal which covers the financing, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of the railway was formalized shortly after Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov announced that the construction would commence on December 27.
The deal was inked by Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Transport and Communications, Absattar Syrgabaev, and Zhong Shenggui, Chairman of the Board of Directors of China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway Company LLC.
The deal signing ceremony was attended by Kyrgyz Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry Bakyt Torobayev; Saidikram Iyazkhodjaev, Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan; and Li Baojie, Charge d’Affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Kyrgyzstan.
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In his statement, Torobayev called the deal a historic achievement for the three countries, marking the conclusion of lengthy discussions and the start of practical implementation. “This large-scale infrastructure project is of both regional and global importance,” he emphasized.
The project is a pivotal development for the transport strategies of the participating nations.
Currently, neither Uzbekistan nor Kyrgyzstan has a direct railway link with China, while Central Asia’s rail connection to China is limited to a route through Kazakhstan.
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Moreover, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan lack a direct railway link between them.
Once completed, the railway is likely to transport up to fifteen million tons of cargo annually, considerably enhancing trade and connectivity in the region.
