The governments of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have agreed to begin work on an $8bn railway to China next month, confirming a target set back in March, website BNE News reports.
Uzbekistan’s deputy transport minister Jasurbek Choriyev reaffirmed his country’s commitment to the 523km line at the annual meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).
It follows a similar statement made by Kyrgyzstan during the summer.
Currently, both countries can only access the Chinese market through Kazakhstan’s network.
The project will be carried out by the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan Railway Company, which was inaugurated on Friday in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.
The opening ceremony was attended by officials from China’s National Development and Reform Commission, as well as Akylbek Japarov, who chairs Kyrgyzstan’s cabinet, and Ilkhom Makhkamov, Uzbekistan’s transport minister.
Beijing is to provide 51% of the construction costs of the railway, with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan providing 24.5% each.
Work is expected to be challenging, particularly when it crosses mountainous sections of Kyrgyzstan.
When complete, the railway is expected to carry up to 15 million tonnes of freight a year.
In his remarks to the AIIB, Choriyev also mentioned Uzbekistan’s efforts to finalise agreements on a planned rail line through Afghanistan to to the ports of Pakistan
He noted the route would complement the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and would “provide new opportunities for trade and economic relations”.
He said: “With the rapid growth of the economy, tourism and investments in Uzbekistan, logistics remains the most expensive element.”
Uzbek officials have suggested that this railway could be completed within five years, however, much depends on whether Afghanistan can guarantee the physical safety of construction workers.
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