Construction on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) rail line will start in October 2024, according to Kyrgyz president Sadyr Zhaparov. Negotiations on the line have been long ongoing, and many uncertainties around financing remain. The CKU line is supposed to shorten travel times between China and Europe by 8 days and reduce the distance by 900 kilometres.…
Category: Kyrgyzstan
CKU line to cost Kyrgyzstan 8 billion dollars
Kyrgyzstan will need to spend 8 billion dollars on the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) rail line. Funding is the main obstacle to the construction of the route. Kyrgyzstan has not yet been able to find enough money to complete its part of the route. Akylbek Zhaparov, the head of the Kyrgyz cabinet of ministers, provided an update…
Uzbekistan wants a joint venture with China and Kyrgyzstan for CKU line
Uzbekistan has proposed a joint venture with China and Kyrgyzstan for the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) line. The joint venture, which can also count on the support of China and Kyrgyzstan, would also become the manager of the line. Work on the line is supposed to start this year. The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan line is one […]
Russia hoping to use INSTC to evade sanctions, says think tank
According to the US-based think tank The Jamestown Foundation, Russia hopes to use the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) as a way to evade Western sanctions. The development of the corridor allows Russia to gain more open access to non-Western markets. Those could provide Russia with much-needed goods for its war economy. The INSTC is […]
After Germany, China is also planning to build a transport hub in Uzbekistan
China is planning to build a transport hub in Uzbekistan. The Chinese logistics company Shenzhen Neptune Logistics announced plans to contribute approximately fifteen million dollars to that end. It is not the first foreign company to take this step, as German company Rhenus earlier announced similar plans. The Chinese investments were announced at a meeting […]
EU to invest 10 billion euros in Middle Corridor
The European Union is allocating 10 billion euros for the development of the so-called Middle Corridor. It has identified 33 infrastructure projects to be financed, among which are many rail projects. The EU hopes to create an alternative transport route that circumvents Russian infrastructure. The currently allocated 10 billion euros will be spent on infrastructure […]
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan push for more rail along INSTC
The Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have introduced plans to expand rail infrastructure along the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). The countries presented these plans at a meeting of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). The organization aims to enhance infrastructure integration among its member states. The plans were introduced at a meeting […]
Kyrgyzstan struggles to find money for CKU line construction
Kyrgyzstan is looking for money to build its part of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway line. In an interview about the country’s debt situation, the president reassured the people that no unfeasible loans would be taken. Where the money for the CKU line is going to come from remains unclear. While Kyrgyzstan is willing to take […]