BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, September 18. Plans are underway to modernize the infrastructure of the Bedel checkpoint at the Kyrgyz-Chinese border, Deputy Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan and Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry, Bakyt Torobayev said during the 16th meeting of the Intergovernmental Kyrgyz-Chinese Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation with the participation of Deputy Minister of Commerce and Deputy Representative of China for International Trade Negotiations Lin Ji, Trend reports.
Torobayev pointed out that the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project is moving along step by step as part of a three-way partnership. He shone a light on the newly opened Bedel checkpoint, which has made crossing the Kyrgyz-Chinese border a walk in the park.
“Now, we face the task of modernizing the infrastructure of the new Bedel checkpoint and jointly working on the construction of the Barskoon-Uchaturfan-Aksuu road,” he stated.
Additionally, the minister noted that Kyrgyzstan has significant potential for enhancing trade and economic relations with China in areas such as the digital economy, agriculture, tourism, renewable energy, and border trade.
“Cooperation in these areas can benefit both sides. To achieve this, we need to finalize the creation of protocols for the supply of certain types of agricultural products and food from Kyrgyzstan to China,” he added.
During the meeting, it was reported that trade turnover between the two countries reached $20 billion in 2023, marking a 32 percent increase compared to the previous year, with nearly $11 billion achieved from January through July of this year.
The 16th meeting protocol of the Intergovernmental Kyrgyz-Chinese Commission was signed following the negotiations. The parties agreed that the final treaty outlining important areas of cooperation will act as a "roadmap" for the near and medium term actions of the two countries' governing bodies.