At the Kyrgyz-Iranian business forum in Bishkek, Iranian Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Said Kharrazi raised the issue of extending the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway to Iran, the Akchabar said.

“Iran is interested in establishing trade and economic ties with Kyrgyzstan. To boost trade, first of all we need to solve the problem of logistics. And for this we could extend the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway to Iran. Kyrgyzstan would have access to the sea,” the ambassador said.

According to the news publication, the business forum was held within the framework of the second exclusive exhibition of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Bishkek.

Earlier on September 14 in Samarkand, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, an agreement was signed between the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Kyrgyzstan, the Ministry of Transport of Uzbekistan and the State Committee for Development and Reform of China on cooperation on the construction project of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway (section on territory of Kyrgyzstan).

The deal provides for joint assistance in the successful completion of the feasibility study for the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway project for a section in the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic along the combined version of the Torugart-Arpa-Makmal-Jalal-Abad route.

The new railway corridor will become the southern branch of the Eurasia Continental Bridge and will open access to the markets of Southeast, West Asia and the Middle East. This route will be able to ensure the delivery of goods from China to Uzbekistan, as well as to the countries of Central Asia and the Middle East, including Turkey and further to the European Union.

In addition, the project will increase competitiveness in the international transit market by reducing the distance and time of cargo delivery.