BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, December 2. Kyrgyzstan's Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev and Wang Yi, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China and China’s Foreign Minister, discussed key bilateral cooperation issues, including the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, Trend reports via Kyrgyz MFA.
The meeting took place in Chengdu, China, as part of the 5th "China-Central Asia" foreign ministers' meeting.
The foreign ministers emphasized the importance of beginning construction on the railway, which will be a significant component of the "Belt and Road" initiative. In this context, the successful opening of the new "Bedel" checkpoint earlier this year was also highlighted.
The meeting also focused on accelerating joint investment projects in areas such as agriculture, energy, manufacturing, transportation, and the banking sector. Discussions included optimizing the operations of the "Irkeshtam" and "Torugart" checkpoints.
Kulubaev emphasized the growth of Kyrgyz exports to China this year, stressing the importance of further increasing these figures. Additionally, discussions were held on simplifying travel conditions for citizens of both countries. Topics related to cooperation within the framework of the UN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) were also addressed.
The "China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan" railway, spanning 486 kilometers, will connect the following points: Kashgar - Torugart - Makmal - Jalal-Abad - Andijan, and beyond a few nations, this new railway network will be crucial for the whole region and give a more varied choice for the worldwide trade system, so providing a dependable and safe substitute.
On June 6, 2024, an agreement was signed between China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan to support the implementation of the railway project as well as to resolve financing issues, and on July 26, a joint project company, the "China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway Company LLC," was registered.
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