Tashkent invites Georgia to join China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway project

Uzbekistan has proposed that Georgia take part in the construction of the China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan railway, a key transcontinental infrastructure project aimed at boosting regional connectivity and trade.

The proposal was raised during a meeting between Uzbekistan’s Minister of Transport, Ilkhom Makhkamov, and Georgia’s Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Mariam Kvrivishvili, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

According to a statement from the Uzbek side, discussions focused on “expanding cooperation in the development of international transport corridors,” with particular attention to the potential use of Georgian seaports as logistical hubs.

The China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan (CKU) railway project is a long-anticipated transcontinental infrastructure initiative aimed at strengthening connectivity between East Asia and Central Asia.

The trilateral project will link China’s western Xinjiang region with Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, forming a critical segment of the broader Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and offering a more direct overland route to European and Middle Eastern markets.

Once completed, the CKU railway is expected to shorten cargo transit times by approximately seven to eight days compared to current routes via Kazakhstan and Russia.

The railway would also enhance the transit potential of landlocked Central Asian economies, positioning them as key nodes in regional and global trade networks.

Kyrgyzstan ratified the agreement in 2023, while Uzbekistan has since intensified diplomatic efforts to broaden the project’s scope. 

By Aghakazim Guliyev