TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, February 16. Uzbekistan is seeking to integrate the under-construction China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway into existing international transport corridors, including routes via Iran and Türkiye, Trend reports via the Uzbek Ministry of Transport.
This issue was discussed during a trilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the 2nd meeting of the Ministers of Transport of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) member states in Istanbul, Türkiye.
The talks brought together Uzbekistan’s Minister of Transport Ilkhom Makhkamov, Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development Farzaneh Sadegh, and Türkiye’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu.
During the meeting, the sides also explored ways to develop a mutually integrated transport and logistics system, strengthen regional cooperation, and advance joint infrastructure and connectivity projects.
Makhkamov stated that Uzbekistan is ready to elevate its strategic partnership with Iran and Türkiye to a new level, with a particular focus on expanding transport links and developing road and logistics infrastructure.
On December 27, 2024, a ceremonial event in Jalal-Abad marked the official commencement of construction for the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan highway. Earlier, on June 6, 2024, a cooperative agreement was signed in Beijing between the Governments of the People's Republic of China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, outlining their collaboration on advancing the project. This agreement was in accordance with the memorandum approved on May 18, 2023, which confirmed the feasibility study and established the combined route linking Kashgar – Torugart – Makmal – Jalal-Abad – Andijan.
According to the Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan, the railway will span a total of 532.53 km. The project plans include the construction of 20 stations—among them, two border stations, one transshipment station, four intermediate stations, and 13 passing loops. Additionally, the plan provides for the construction of 48 bridges, totaling 16.06 km in length, along with 27 tunnels, which will cover 103.63 km. In total, the combined length of the bridges and tunnels will extend for 119.69 km, accounting for 39.3 percent of the overall length of the railway.