Azernews.Az

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has described the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan (CKU) railway as a strategically important project that will eliminate the country's transportation bottleneck and transform Kyrgyzstan into a key regional transit hub.

AzerNEWS reports that Japarov said Kyrgyzstan currently lacks direct access to major global transport corridors, making the country's exports and imports heavily dependent on external factors.

"Once the construction of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway is completed, our country will no longer be a transportation dead end and will become a transit nation. One of the most important transport links between China and the rest of the world will pass through Kyrgyzstan," Japarov said in an address to the nation.

The president noted that the new railway will fully integrate Kyrgyzstan into the international transportation and logistics network, strengthening the country's economic independence and expanding its role in regional trade.

He emphasized that, over the long term, the railway is expected to generate a stable and sustainable source of revenue through transit services.

According to Japarov, income from transit transportation could eventually be comparable to the revenue generated by the Kumtor gold mine, one of Kyrgyzstan's largest economic assets.

"Transit transportation will create a stable and long-term source of income for Kyrgyzstan comparable to the revenue currently generated by the Kumtor gold mine. In many ways, it will become the country's second Kumtor," he said.

Japarov also stressed that the successful implementation of such a large-scale infrastructure project requires the expertise and experience of international specialists.

The China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway is widely viewed as one of Central Asia's most significant transport initiatives, with the potential to reshape regional trade routes by providing a shorter land connection between China, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.