BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 13. Kyrgyzstan sees stronger connections with both Central Asian countries and China as important for advancing regional connectivity following the Cholpon-Ata summit.
This was reflected in a publication of the Caspian Policy Center following Kyrgyz Ambassador to the U.S. Edil Baisalov's remarks during a roundtable on the Cholpon-Ata summit and next steps for Trans-Caspian cooperation.
“We have been talking about the Western and Trans-Caspian connection, but of course we also need to think about our Eastern neighbor, the People’s Republic of China,” Baisalov said.
He noted that the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway connection would be “very significant.”
“We need to appreciate the momentum,” Baisalov said.
Trend noted in its earlier analytical article that Kyrgyzstan’s growing focus on China is closely linked to the expansion of its transport infrastructure, industrial production and bilateral trade. The article highlighted the development of the Barskoon-Bedel highway and the Bedel border crossing as part of efforts to strengthen connectivity with the Chinese market.
Against this backdrop, the remarks by the Kyrgyz ambassador at the roundtable come as the country is simultaneously developing its western and Trans-Caspian connections and strengthening its eastern link with China. Trend’s analysis showed that these directions are not necessarily competing priorities: expanding transport infrastructure toward China could provide Kyrgyz producers with additional access to a rapidly growing export market, while Trans-Caspian routes offer another channel for regional and international trade.
Meanwhile, the Cholpon-Ata Declaration was signed on July 31, 2026, by the presidents of the five Central Asian countries and Azerbaijan at an informal meeting in Kyrgyzstan. The document formalized the expanded regional cooperation format following Azerbaijan’s integration into the Central Asian consultative process and places greater emphasis on practical cooperation in trade, transport, logistics and energy.
The declaration comes as the expanded six-country format, often described as C6, seeks to translate growing political coordination into economic and infrastructure projects. Areas discussed in the regional framework include the Trans-Caspian transport route, energy cooperation, critical minerals and digital infrastructure. The broader agenda is aimed at strengthening connectivity between Central Asia, the Caspian Sea and markets beyond the region.
For reference, the Caspian Policy Center (CPC), which hosted the roundtable attended by the ambassadors, is a Washington-based nonprofit think tank focused on economic, political, energy and security issues in the Greater Caspian region. It organizes research, policy discussions and forums bringing together government officials, business representatives and experts from the region and the United States.
