The Head of Kyrgyz Cabinet of Ministers, Akylbek Japarov, discussed the implementation of the "China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan" railway construction project with the Minister of Transport of Uzbekistan, Ilkhom Makhkamov, the press service of the Kyrgyz Cabinet of Ministers announced.
Japarov noted that there is a multifaceted high-level strategic partnership between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. He stated that the construction project of the "China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan" railway is a major transport infrastructure project that will positively impact the economic development of both countries.
In turn, the Minister of Transport of Uzbekistan, Ilkhom Makhkamov, expressed gratitude to the Kyrgyz side for their active participation in preparing this project.
The Kyrgyz Cabinet emphasized that with joint financing for the construction of the "China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan" railway, a techno-economic justification for the project has been developed and approved in June of this year.
"At present, the parties are discussing optimal financing models for the construction of the railway," the Kyrgyz government summarized.
The construction project for the railway was proposed in the late 1990s, initially estimated at $2-3 billion. However, due to a cost increase, the consideration of the project was prolonged. It was only in the fall of 2022 that the leaders of the three countries and relevant services of China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan concluded an agreement in Samarkand to begin the construction of the railway.
The final route for construction on the territory of Kyrgyzstan has already been approved, and the approximate cost is set at $5-6 billion. However, none of the parties has announced the exact source of project funding yet.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
December 26, 2023