BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, May 22. Kyrgyzstan’s capital hosted a meeting of the Kyrgyz-Kazakh Business Council, where the two countries discussed major cooperation initiatives, including a long-anticipated highway between Almaty and Issyk-Kul, Trend reports via the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kyrgyzstan.
This highway will offer a faster alternative to the current 485-kilometer route through Kordai and Bishkek. Three route options are under review — western, eastern, and direct. The road is expected to be toll-based. The most promising western route, through Uzynagash and Kechi-Kemin, is estimated at around $140–150 million.
Plans for this road date back to 2004–2008. In 2021, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) agreed to fund a technical, financial, and economic assessment of the project.
During the business council, the Kazakh delegation also announced a plan to build a major International Transport and Logistics Complex (ITLC) near the Kyrgyz border. Located in the Alatau area, the complex will serve as a hub for storing, processing, and distributing goods for export. It will provide warehousing, packaging, production, legal, and financial services, along with support for import-export operations.