Kyrgyzstan, China, and Uzbekistan Sign Investment Agreement for Key Railway Project

The Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan and the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway Company have officially signed an investment agreement to move forward with the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project.

The agreement was signed by Kyrgyzstan's Minister of Transport and Communications, Absattar Syrgabaev, and Zhong Shengui, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway Company, The Caspian Post reports, citing Kazinform.

Bakyt Torobayev, Kyrgyzstan's Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Food Processing, remarked that the signing of the investment agreement marks the transition from a lengthy and complex negotiation process to the practical phase of implementing this large-scale infrastructure project, which holds regional and international importance.

"I want to congratulate everyone on successfully completing the joint work to finalize the investment agreement we are signing today," Torobayev stated. "This progress would not have been possible without the support and determination of our countries' leaders. Only with their full backing do we have the opportunity to sign one of the cornerstone documents of this project."

The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railroad, 486 kilometers long, will connect the following points: Kashgar-Torugart-Makmal-Jalal-Abad-Andijan. This new rail network will be of immense importance to the entire region and will provide a wider range of opportunities for the global trading system by providing reliable and safe infrastructure.

The construction originates from an agreement among China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, signed on June 6 of this year, to facilitate the railway project and address financing concerns. On July 26, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway Company came into existence.

The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railroad now has a design capacity of 10-12 million tons of cargo annually.

The construction of the railway is expected to begin on December 27, 2024.