Rail transportation

Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are strengthening their economic ties with China through an ambitious railway project linking the three countries along the historical Silk Road

The Chinese-Kyrgyz-Uzbek railway affects the interests of key geopolitical actors of the Eurasian continent

Since the beginning of the Russian-Ukraine conflict, the countries in Central Asia (CA) became acutely aware of the severe limitations related to their transportation routes. With heavy dependence on Moscow, CA countries decided to engage in diversification of their import- export channels. For Bishkek and Tashkent such attempts resulted in the renewed interest in advancing the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan (CKU) railway project.

China has established its geopolitical influence in Southeast Asia through its rail projects, which will grow further as more lines are completed.

Drafted by Roscongress Foundation and ITI Research Centre for the 2024 Eastern Economic Forum, this report focuses on the key factors of success in terms of interstate integration, as well as the development prospects for the global trade and logistics sectors in relation to BRICS.