Railway agreement cements China-Central Asia economic ties
In Beijing, an agreement was signed regarding constructing a railway line from China through Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan. This new route will connect China with Europe. The implementation of the project is set to begin by the end of 2024. Xi Jinping described this as a "strategic project."
According to Beijing information, the planned railway line will be 486 kilometres long, with 312 kilometres running through Kyrgyzstan, including 57 tunnels. The lengths of the sections in the other two countries were not disclosed. The construction is estimated to cost $8 billion, but no sources of funding for the project were revealed.
The leaders of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, landlocked countries, have long had high hopes for the new railway project. They believe it will bring them economic and strategic benefits.
The agreement was signed by Tilek Tekebayev, the Kyrgyzstan Minister of Transport and Communications; Zheng Shanjie, the Chairman of the Chinese State Development and Reform Committee; and Ilhom Mahkamov, the Uzbekistan Minister of Transport. On this occasion, the leaders of all three countries sent video messages.
Bridge in the Eurasian space
The President of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov, emphasized that this project will be an essential element of the famous Belt and Road Initiative. It will become a symbol of cooperation within the framework of a comprehensive strategic partnership in the new era between the Kyrgyz Republic, the People's Republic of China, and the Republic of Uzbekistan. Creating this key continental bridge in the Eurasian space will benefit our nations significantly.
The President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, addressed the meeting participants where the agreement was signed, saying: This railway line will become the shortest land 'arm' connecting China with our region. In the future, this railway will enable access to the markets of South Asia and the Middle East through a "promising" trans-Afghan corridor.
Shavkat Mirziyoyev added that the annual volume of freight traffic on the new railway line could reach as much as 15 million tonnes, and the delivery times of goods to end consumers will be reduced by 7 days.
Strategic project for China
China's leader, Xi Jinping, highlighted the agreement's significance, claiming it will significantly contribute to strategic cooperation with Central Asian countries.
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"The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway is a strategic project for China’s connectivity with Central Asia and a landmark project for [our] three countries to jointly build the Belt and Road Initiative," said the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China.
