The construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway will lead to increased cargo flow along the southern branch of the Middle Corridor, Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications of Kyrgyzstan Bekzhan Rysmendeev told Report.
"The southern branch of the Middle Corridor passes through Kyrgyzstan's territory. It is also called the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR). As part of the Middle Corridor, we are currently planning to implement the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway construction project in the near future. This is a very large-scale project that will increase the transit potential of Kyrgyzstan and the region as a whole," he said.
The deputy minister noted that Kyrgyzstan is interested in realizing the full potential of the transport corridor.
"Railway is the most sustainable and environmentally friendly transport. In this regard, the implementation of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway construction project also meets today's environmental requirements. Thus, we are increasing transit and cargo transportation while taking environmental protection into account," added Rysmendeev.
The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway will be 454 km long, connecting the railways of China and Uzbekistan through Kyrgyzstan's territory, and then continuing through Turkmenistan, Iran, and Türkiye. The railway construction is planned to take 5 years. China is allocating $2.35 billion for its construction.