The railway project aimed at connecting China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan has completed its feasibility study just before the commencement of the Central Asia-China summit, Spot news agency reports. 

The highway construction would begin in 2023, as the head of Uzbekistan Railways' marketing and logistics department, Umidulla Ibragimov, revealed to the Chinese edition of Yicai Global. 

The railway will connect Kashgar and Andijan through Kyrgyzstan's Karasuu, creating the shortest, and most accessible route to international markets for Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries. This new route will make the region a crucial hub between Europe and Asia.

In addition, China will improve infrastructure in its western provinces and the Xinjiang Uygur region and increase the supply of Caspian hydrocarbons. 

The three countries' representatives agreed upon the branch route in September 2022 on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Samarkand. 

The railway construction will expand the geography of trade and transportation in Asia, as noted by the Ministry of Transport. The project is part of the future unified transport network of Central and Western Asia, according to Uzbekistan's former Acting Foreign Minister Vladimir Norov, and was also praised by the PRC's head, Xi Jinping, for its role in unlocking the transport potential of the republic.

Uzbekistan is the keystone to the success of the New Silk Road transportation route, and if it refused to participate China would have difficulty finding a viable alternative. This is due to the unfavorable terrain of Uzbekistan's neighbors, making construction nearly impossible. 

#Uzbekistan #China #BeltandRoad #railway #CACsummit