Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, China rail pact reshapes European trade routes
9:04 PM EDT, June 21, 2024
Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have agreed with China to build a railway line to Europe that would bypass Russia. Beijing, Bishkek, and Tashkent have been discussing the project for 27 years, and it was signed on June 6 in Beijing.
Construction is scheduled to begin in October. The 280-310 mile long railway line will be part of China's global initiative "Belt and Road".
Experts note that the annual freight volume will be 15 million tons, and the delivery time of goods to end customers will be shortened by 7 days.
In addition, a modern transit and logistics infrastructure—with warehouses and terminals—will be created, said Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
The route will run from Kashgar in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China through Torugart, Makmal, and Jalal-Abad in Kyrgyzstan to Andijan in Uzbekistan. The highway will then connect to roads in other Central Asian countries, from where the cargo will reach the Caspian Sea, Turkey, and further to Europe.
Bad news for Russia. Agreement details
On June 19, the Kyrgyzstan parliament, through whose territory the main part of the route will pass, ratified the agreement with China and Uzbekistan regarding road construction.
A joint project company (JPC) will be set up between the countries to lay the Kyrgyz section of the highway. China will hold 51 percent, and Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan will each hold 24.5 percent.
The new railway corridor will become the southern branch of the Eurasian continental bridge and will open access to the markets of Southeast Asia, Western Asia, and the Middle East.
