Tashkent (TDI): President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has said that Uzbekistan is preparing to establish new trade and industrial zones near its border with Kyrgyzstan.
The Andijan region currently exports about $200 million in goods to Kyrgyzstan each year. To boost trade further, Mirziyoyev proposed the development of industrial zones in Kurgan-Tepe and Khojaabad, modeled after similar projects on the Afghan border.
He instructed officials to engage with local businesses and select one of the two sites to start detailed planning.
Mirziyoyev also underscored the strategic significance of the planned Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan-China railway.
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Once completed, the railway is likely to reduce shipping times by up to a week and shorten the overall route by one thousand kilometers. Cargo volumes could increase tenfold, he said.
The deal to build the railway was inked on June 6, 2024, in Beijing. The 523-kilometer route will connect Kashgar in China to Andijan in Uzbekistan, via Kyrgyz cities including Torugart and Jalal-Abad.
Read More:Â Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan Sign Historic Border Agreement
The project includes the construction of modern logistics centers, warehouses, and terminals, and is intended to considerably strengthen transport links between Central and East Asia.
