Revival of the Ancient Silk Road Starts as China ,Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan Launch New Railway Project
- China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan launch construction work of a new railway project, aiming for the revival of the ancient Silk Road.
- Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov on Friday inaugurated the construction of a new railway.
- China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway will; work as a strategic bridge between East and West, open up the region as a supply route to Europe, and promote regional connectivity and prosperity.
By: Muhammad Arif, Editor NSN.Asia
BEIJING: “I am convinced that China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project will not only strengthen ties between the peoples of the East and West but also make a significant contribution to the development of our region”, said Sadyr Japarov while inaugurating the construction of a new railway linking China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, aimed at opening up the region as a supply route to Europe.
The commencement ceremony for the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project, symbolizing the revival of the Silk Road, was held in Jalalabad, Kyrgyzstan, on Friday. Leaders and representatives from Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan highlighted the railway’s potential to promote regional connectivity and prosperity.
Under the BRI development plan, China has invested billions of dollars in building rail and road routes that traverse Central Asia, long seen by Russia as its sphere of influence.
The strategic railway project, covering a distance of almost 523 kilometres (325 miles), will run west from the Chinese city of Kashgar in the northwestern Xinjiang region through the Kyrgyz border city of Jalal-Abad to Andijan in Uzbekistan.
The section in China will be around 155 kilometres while the Kyrgyz section will be the longest at 305 km and the Uzbek section will be 63 km.
The annual freight traffic along China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway will reach up to 15 million tons, according to Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Jamshid Hojaev who said while attending at the ceremony of launch of construction of China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway
“This route will ensure supply of goods from China to Kyrgyzstan and then onto Central Asia” and nearby countries “including Turkiye” and “even to the European Union”, Japarov said at the ceremony.
Sanjar Mukanbetov, director of the National Institute of Strategic Initiatives under the President of Kyrgyzstan, told Xinhua that the support of China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan’s leaders has made the railway project possible.
“Residents and nearby settlements will directly benefit from the economic impact of the project,” Mukanbetov said. “It will certainly reshape regional logistics, bringing significant economic benefits.”
According to the current progress of the project, the construction of the Kyrgyz section of the railway project is scheduled to begin in July 2025 and last for six years, the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping says China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway demonstrates the shared aspiration of the three countries to open up this strategic corridor
Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday that the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is a strategic decision made by the three governments to promote regional connectivity, prosperity and stability.
Xi made the remarks in his congratulatory letter to the commencement ceremony of the railway project.
Noting that the construction of the railway reflects the shared aspiration of the three countries to open up this strategic corridor, Xi said that the commencement ceremony marks the transition of the project from conception to implementation, taking a critical step toward the goal of completion and operation.
Xi emphasized the need for close collaboration among the relevant departments and enterprises of the three countries to ensure high standards and high-quality progress in the construction of the railway.
Xi said that efforts should be made to build the railway into a new demonstration project for Belt and Road cooperation, so as to better contribute to the economic and social development and the improvement of people’s well-being in the region along the route and to inject new momentum into building a closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future.
In his remarks, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, attending the ceremony held in Jalalabad, Kyrgyzstan, said that the railway is not only a transport corridor, but also an important strategic bridge connecting countries of the East and the West.
The project will strengthen Kyrgyzstan’s status as a transportation hub, create a large number of jobs, and promote the development in fields including trade, tourism and industries, Japarov said, adding that he believes the three countries will complete the project with high quality, so as to open up new broad prospects for common development in the region.
Also in his message, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, in a congratulatory letter to the ceremony, said that the commencement of the railway project is an important measure in implementing the consensus of the three heads of state, promoting mutually beneficial cooperation, and advancing Belt and Road cooperation, which has great historic significance.
The railway will help promote regional trade and integration, promote personnel exchanges and cultural ties, build an important bridge for mutual learning among civilizations, and benefit countries and peoples in the region, he added.
The ceremony was jointly held by the National Development and Reform Commission of China, the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Kyrgyzstan and the Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan.
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