China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway construction holds strategic importance
Construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway holds strategic importance for the entire region, Vice Premier of the State Council of China, Liu Guozhong, said, Azernews reports.
He made these remarks during a meeting with the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Akylbek Japarov.
Liu Guozhong emphasized the need to accelerate the project and commence construction work swiftly. He also highlighted the importance of increasing trade volume, enhancing border crossing capacity, opening the Bedel checkpoint this year, and expanding cooperation in the tourism sector.
In turn, Japarov underscored the importance of the full operation of the Torugart and Irkeshtam checkpoints, which are crucial for further boosting bilateral trade between the two countries. He expressed Kyrgyzstan's commitment to developing transportation and logistics infrastructure, removing trade barriers, and creating mutually beneficial trading conditions.
"We aim to expand our capabilities and transition to daily and round-the-clock operations at these checkpoints, operating 24/7. I believe this will be beneficial for the Chinese side as well, allowing for an even greater volume of goods and products from China to be exported to Kyrgyzstan and onward to third countries. We aim to increase the capacity to accommodate up to 1,000 vehicles per day," he said.
The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, a planned 454-kilometer rail line, is intended to connect China's and Uzbekistan's railways through Kyrgyzstan's territory and further link up with the European railway network through Turkmenistan, Iran, and Türkiye.
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