BAKU, Azerbaijan, July 10. Kyrgyzstan will need
to train around 2,500 railway specialists after the
China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway enters operation.
The estimate was announced by Director General of the state
enterprise Kyrgyz Temir Zholu Azamat Sakiyev during Sakiyev's
meeting with representatives of Northwest University, Peking
University and Northwest University of Political Science and Law of
China.
"According to preliminary estimates, after the completion of
construction and commissioning of the railway, around 2,500
specialists in various railway professions will need to be
trained," Sakiyev said.
The sides also discussed cooperation in education, including
personnel training and retraining, academic exchange programs and
the allocation of quotas for Kyrgyz specialists to study at leading
Chinese universities.
For reference, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is one of
Central Asia's largest transport infrastructure projects and the
first direct rail link between China and Kyrgyzstan. Construction
officially began in December 2024 after nearly three decades of
negotiations. The approximately 520-kilometer railway will connect
Kashgar in China's Xinjiang region with Andijan in Uzbekistan via
Kyrgyzstan, creating a new freight corridor linking China with
Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe.
The Kyrgyz section is considered the most technically
challenging, requiring the construction of dozens of bridges and
tunnels through mountainous terrain. The project is estimated to
cost about $4.7 billion, while completion is planned for 2030.
Kyrgyz authorities expect the railway to strengthen the country's
role as a regional transit hub, boost cargo traffic, attract
investment and create new employment opportunities.
