Head of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Akylbek Japarov, Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov and Secretary of the Party Committee of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China Ma Xingrui held a trilateral meeting in the Chinese city of Kashgar, the press service of the Kyrgyz government reported.
In his speech, Zhaparov noted that Xinjiang serves as a gateway for Kyrgyzstan to China due to historical and geographical reasons. He emphasized that Kyrgyzstan, in turn, becomes a gateway for China towards several Central Asian countries. In this context, the construction project of the "China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan" railway will have an invaluable positive impact on the dynamic development of trade and economic cooperation among the three countries. Zhaparov stated that, with joint financing, the technical and economic justification for the project has been developed and approved.
Zhaparov called for negotiations on the development of multimodal transportation. He suggested that Kyrgyzstan, China, and Uzbekistan could actively use the advantages of geographical proximity to promote cross-border e-commerce. Examples include creating economic development belts around border areas through the establishment of international trade centers and comprehensive bonded zones.
Prime Minister Aripov of Uzbekistan highlighted the historical significance of this trilateral meeting. He noted the dynamic growth of trade turnover between the countries and expressed Uzbekistan's interest in the development of multimodal transportation routes, supporting the creation of a joint venture in the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway.
Ma Xinjiu, a member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee and the Secretary of the Party Committee of XUAR, expressed support for the proposals from the Kyrgyz side. He emphasized the interest in the development of bilateral and multilateral relations, as well as the advancement of trade and economic ties.
Following the meeting, the parties agreed to support cooperation, endorsed the technical and economic justification for the project, and decided to hold such meetings regularly.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
March 2, 2024