Kyrgyzstan launches construction of China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway

By Nurzhan Kasmalieva

BISHKEK: The commencement ceremony of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project was held on December 27 in Jalalabad Oblast of Kyrgyzstan.

The ceremony for the large-scale regional project was attended by President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov, Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission of China Zheng Shanjie, who read out the address of the leader of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping, and Vice Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Dzhamshit Khodjaev, who read out the greeting of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.

The new railway route will have a length of 523 km of which 213 km on the Chinese territory, 260 km in Kyrgyzstan and 50 km in Uzbekistan. In Kyrgyzstan the project involves the construction of more than 50 tunnels and 90 bridges.

Addressing the ceremony Zhaparov said that the construction of this railway is a historic event that will open a new era in the development of the region’s transport infrastructure. He expressed gratitude to China and Uzbekistan for their support and participation in the implementation of this important project.

“The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is not just a transport corridor, it is an important strategic bridge that will connect the countries of the East and the West,” the president said.

He noted that the new route will become the southern link of the Eurasian continental bridge and open routes to the markets of Southeast, West Asia and the Middle East.

The Kyrgyz president emphasized that the project has several key advantages. Firstly, the construction of the railway will accelerate the economic development of Kyrgyzstan, strengthening the country as a transit hub on the Eurasian continent. Secondly, it will open up new opportunities for the development of trade, tourism and industry, and also improves the transport accessibility of hard-to-reach areas of the country.

The president said the project would create thousands of jobs, which has a positive impact on the socio-economic situation in Kyrgyzstan. The construction of the railway will also strengthen interregional ties and increase the region’s competitiveness as an international transport hub.

“This road will not only strengthen our ties, but also revive the historical spirit of the Great Silk Road,” he added, highlighting that the project will benefit not only Kyrgyzstan, but the entire region.

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev in his congratulatory letter referred to the ceremony as a truly historic event, which marks the 30-year-long journey of our friendly countries.

“A new transportation artery of international significance is being formed. It will connect the Central Asian region with China through the shortest overland route and further expand multifaceted cooperation and strengthen the strategic partnership among our countries.

“The project is also perfectly aligned with the goals of the Belt and Road Initiative, today uniting many countries of the world for the benefit of common sustainable development and prosperity,” the Uzbek president said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping in his congratulatory letter said that the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is a strategic decision made by the three governments to promote regional connectivity, prosperity and stability.

Xi said that efforts should be made to build the railway into a new demonstration project for Belt and Road cooperation, to better contribute to the economic and social development and the improvement of people’s well-being in the region along the route and to inject new momentum into building a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.

China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan signed an intergovernmental agreement on the railway construction project on June 6 in Beijing. The 523 km railway will run through Kashgar (China), Torugart, Makmal, Jalal-Abad (Kyrgyzstan), and Andijan (Uzbekistan).

A transit and logistics infrastructure will be developed along the route. Construction is expected to officially begin in July 2025 and will last six years.

The new corridor will considerably shorten the route from East Asia to Southern European countries and will save one week of delivery time and significantly increase the volume of cargo transport.

According to calculations, the commissioning of this highway will serve to increase the scale of regional trade and investment, significantly reduce transport costs.

It is expected that annual freight volumes along the new corridor will amount to 15 million tons.

The new China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway will avoid the Trans-Siberian railway route across Russia.