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On May 18 in Bishkek, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, Akylbek Japarov held talks with Vice Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, Liu Guozhong. Emphasizing that China is one of Kyrgyzstan’s main trade and investment partners, Japarov stated that bilateral trade turnover is growing every year and reached $19.8 billion in 2023, an increase of 30% compared to 2022. “But this is not the limit, and the Kyrgyz Republic is ready to jointly make efforts to increase all trade and economic indicators,” he stated. Japarov stressed the importance of the full and uninterrupted functionality of the Torugart and Irkeshtam checkpoints on the Kyrgyz-Chinese border to further increases in trade between the two countries. According to Japarov, the Kyrgyz side is aiming to develop transport and logistics infrastructure, removing restrictions that impede trade exchanges, and creating mutually beneficial conditions. “We would like to expand our capabilities and switch to daily and round-the-clock operation of these border checkpoints. I believe this will also be useful for the Chinese side, as it will allow an even larger volume of cargo and goods to be exported from China to Kyrgyzstan, and on to third countries. We are aiming to increase the throughput capacity of the border checkpoints to 1,000 vehicles per day,” the prime minister said. Kyrgyzstan also expects to sign protocols on new types of agricultural products and simplify procedures for the export of these products from Kyrgyzstan to China. In turn, Vice Premier Liu Guozhong noted the high level of Kyrgyz-Chinese relations and the readiness to further develop and strengthen mutually beneficial and multifaceted cooperation. Guozhong stated that construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is of strategic importance for the entire region and urged that its construction start sooner. He also noted the importance of increasing trade turnover, increasing the capacity at border checkpoints, opening the new Bedel border checkpoint this year, and expanding cooperation in tourism. Guozhong also stated that the Chinese market is open to the import of Kyrgyz agricultural products.
Since the beginning of this year, some 70,000 women in Kazakhstan have opted to travel by train in carriages designated as "women's cars". According to data provided by the national carrier "Kazakhstan Temir Zholy" (KTZ), this is a steep rise from the 34,000 who used the same carriages in 2023. Introduced at the beginning of 2021, the service which female travelers deem safer and more comfortable than mainstream carriages, has now been used by over 359,000 women. Outlining the initiative, KTZ explained that tickets for women's cars, available on eight trains, are sold only to women and are staffed exclusively by female conductors. Any males traveling must be seven years' old or under. With reference to forward planning, the company stated, "A social survey is currently being conducted on the project. Once collated, the results should provide a better understanding of the needs and preferences of passengers, and subsequently, help determine a strategy for its future development." The need to launch women-only cars in Kazakhstan was spurred by public outrage following the rape of a female passenger by two conductors on a high-speed train traveling the 'Talgo' route between Astana and Aktobe in the fall of 2018. During the ensuing high-profile case in July 2019, conductors Zhetes Umbetaliyev and Kolkanat Kurmaniyazov were found guilty and sentenced to prison.
On March 1st, Akylbek Japarov Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, Abdulla Aripov Prime Minister of Uzbekistan and Ma Xingrui Communist Party Secretary of China’s western Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, met in Kashgar (Xinjiang) to discuss the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. Japarov first praised the incentive for its potential to strengthen the development of trade and economic cooperation between the three countries and reported that a jointly funded feasibility study of the project had already been developed and approved. Uzbekistan’s Prime Minister Aripov expressed his country’s interest in developing multimodal transport routes to support the joint construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway. Addressing the insufficient throughput capacity of the Irkeshtam checkpoint on the Kyrgyz-Chinese border, Japarov stated, “increasing the volume of cargo throughput at the Irkeshtam checkpoint is an issue relevant to both the Kyrgyz and Chinese sides, as well as the Uzbek side. It is therefore important that all checkpoints are modernized and equipped with updated means of customs control.” He then reported that new customs inspection complexes at the Irkeshtam and Torugart checkpoints to be installed this year, will allow up to 125 vehicles per hour to cross the border, and added that the Kyrgyz side aims to increase the throughput capacity of these checkpoints to 1,000 vehicles per day. In the interest of developing trade and economic ties, the Secretary of Xinjiang’s Party Committee welcomed the Kyrgyz Prime Minister's proposals and supported his stance that Xinjiang is perceived as a gateway to China from Kyrgyzstan and in turn, several other Central Asian countries.
TEHRAN (TCA) — A senior Iranian official says a major railway connecting Iran and neighboring Afghanistan will be ready in March 2020 as construction of a key cross-border line is nearing completion, Iran’s PressTV news agency reported. Continue reading
NUR-SULTAN (TCA) — A delegation of Kazakhstan’s national railways company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), headed by the Chairman of the company’s Management Board Sauat Mynbayev, took part in the ceremony of receiving the first Xi'an-Ankara-Prague train on November 6 in Ankara (Turkey), KTZ’s press service reported. Continue reading
NUR-SULTAN (TCA) — At the end of October, 17 trains were exchanged on average per day, which is a record in the history of the border crossing between Kazakhstan and China at Dostyk and Alashankou rail stations, said the press service of KTZ-Freight transportation JSC, a subdivision of Kazakhstan’s national railways company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ). Continue reading
