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: Uzbekistan
What spurs the international effort to bridge Afghanistan via rail?
Countries in Afghanistan’s vicinity have grown an interest in developing its rail infrastructure. More and more projects are being launched, or are at the very least being considered, that would elevate the country to an international “rail bridge” to the Indian Ocean. What are these projects, and what motivates these countries? As the desert dust…
What spurs the international effort to bridge Afghanistan via rail?
Countries in Afghanistan’s vicinity have grown an interest in developing its rail infrastructure. More and more projects are being launched, or are at the very least being considered, that would elevate the country to an international “rail bridge” to the Indian Ocean. What are these projects, and what motivates these countries? As the desert dust…
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…
Air Samarkand Launches New Flight To Istanbul International Airport On A321neo
Uzbekistan’s latest airline takes flight.
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 […]
Central Asian Expansion: Qatar Airways Adds Tashkent To Its Summer Schedule
Qatar Airways is boosting its connectivity to Central Asia.
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 […]