BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, September 1. Uzbekistan
has proposed establishing a Council for the Integration of Railway
Spaces of SCO Member States as part of efforts to strengthen
international transport corridors and improve railway connectivity
across the Eurasian region, Trend's special correspondent reports.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev made the proposal during the
Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s 25th-anniversary summit in
Bishkek, highlighting transport connectivity as a key condition for
expanding trade and economic cooperation among SCO members.
The proposed council would provide a platform for coordinating
railway development, improving connectivity between national
networks and supporting the development of international transport
corridors across the organization.
The initiative comes as Uzbekistan advances major railway
projects designed to strengthen its position as a transit hub in
Central Asia. Among them is the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan
railway, which is being developed as a new route connecting China
with Central Asia and potentially further toward markets in the
Middle East and Europe.
The CKU railway has an estimated project cost of about $4.7
billion, with China providing approximately $2.3 billion
through a 35-year loan to the joint project company.
The proposed SCO railway council could help coordinate such
projects at a broader regional level, particularly as member states
seek to expand trade routes and reduce transport bottlenecks.
For Uzbekistan, stronger railway integration would support its
efforts to diversify trade routes, improve access to major markets
and increase the role of Central Asia in Eurasian transit networks.
The initiative also fits into Tashkent’s broader push to turn SCO
cooperation into practical projects in transportation,
infrastructure and regional economic integration.
