The President of Uzbekistan announced the launch of a long-awaited railway connection with China. The plan to build the Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan-China railway has been discussed for several decades. This project is of strategic importance both in trade and economic terms. However, the implementation requires the right political context, given that it links three different countries.
At the recent online economic forum of the Eurasian Economic Union, a breakthrough seems to have been achieved. At the forum, president shavkat mirziyoyev stressed that the new railway “will open up new opportunities for transport routes connecting our region with the Pacific region, contributing to the expansion of railway routes connecting East and West.”
The Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan, Akylbek Zhaparov, said that work on the project will begin this autumn, and it will be the largest project in the history of the country. China also expressed its willingness to provide $2 billion in loans to finance the project.
The length of the railway will be 270 kilometers, connecting Kashi in the west of China and Andijan in the east of Uzbekistan, through Kyrgyzstan. This will create an additional land route for Chinese exports to Europe through Central Asia, connecting with existing Uzbek and Turkmen rail networks leading to the Caspian Sea.
This project will allow Uzbekistan to establish new trade relations with the markets of the Asia-Pacific region, and Kyrgyzstan – to increase revenues from transit. It will also improve communications between Central and South Asia, bypassing Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Landlocked Uzbekistan will be able to capitalize on its strategic geographic location and become a key hub in this transport route.
This project represents a significant step towards establishing close trade and economic ties between the countries. The construction of a railway connecting Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and China has been discussed for a long time, and now the moment has come when real actions begin to implement this project. The new railroad will improve transport corridors linking the region with Pacific markets. This contributes to the expansion of existing rail routes, facilitating the movement of goods between East and West.