The ceremony took place in Tosh-Kutchu, Jalal-Abad, where the symbolic first stone was laid for the railway, which aims to enhance regional connectivity and global trade.

In his address, President Japarov emphasized the strategic significance of the project, describing the railway as more than a transportation corridor. “This route will facilitate the delivery of goods from China to Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia, the Middle East, including Turkey, and onward to the European Union. It will strengthen interregional ties, diversify transport routes, and bolster the region's competitiveness as an international transport and transit hub, aligning with the goals of Central Asian nations,” he stated.

Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister, Jamshid Khodjaev, conveyed a message from Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, hailing the event as a historic milestone nearly 30 years in the making. President Mirziyoyev highlighted the railway’s importance as a new international transportation artery, connecting Central Asia to China via the shortest land route. He noted that the project will foster comprehensive cooperation and strategic partnership among the three countries.

The railway project is expected to play a transformative role in enhancing trade efficiency, reducing transport costs, and promoting regional integration.

The initiative follows the signing of an investment agreement in Bishkek earlier this year by Kyrgyz Minister of Transport and Communications Absattar Syrgabayev and Zhong Shenggui, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway Company.