The China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative provides not only Kyrgyzstan but all Central Asian and Eurasian countries with a vital opportunity to advance their modernization, with the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway serving as a landmark of this transformation, Kyrgyzstan's Deputy Foreign Minister Meder Abakirov said at an event on the eve of the 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Bishkek.
The 2026 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit runs from Aug 31 to Sept 1 with the theme "25 Years of the SCO: Together Towards Sustainable Peace, Development and Prosperity."
This year's SCO Summit has brought together leaders from more than 20 countries to the Kyrgyz capital.
At the event, Abakirov emphasized the strategic significance of the key railway project.
"The Belt and Road Initiative provides not only our country, but also all Central Asian countries and many Eurasian countries with the opportunity to modernize their infrastructure," the deputy foreign minister said. "As is well known, the most important project at present is precisely the construction of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway,"
Abakirov stressed the need to develop alternative transit routes for goods moving between China and Europe. "We must find alternative routes for transit of goods from China to Europe and vice versa," he said, adding that Kyrgyzstan should fully seize these opportunities.
The railway, he noted, will bring tangible economic benefits to Kyrgyzstan. "We should also take advantage of these opportunities, because this means new jobs and new investments into Kyrgyzstan's economy," Abakirov stated.
While expressing confidence in the project's success, the deputy foreign minister said "I believe that by relying on China's advanced technology, innovative achievements, and broad opportunities, this project can be successfully completed."
The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is a flagship project of the Belt and Road Initiative, personally promoted by the heads of state of China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.
The route begins in Kashgar, located in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and passes through the mountainous terrain of Kyrgyzstan to reach Uzbekistan.
Belt and Road Initiative offers central Asia chance to advance modernization: Kyrgyz Deputy FM
A China-Kyrgyzstan joint archaeological team has recently uncovered evidence of the two countries' shared history along the ancient Silk Road through excavations at the Krasnaya Rechka site in Kyrgyzstan.
Excavations at the site have yielded a batch of valuable cultural relics dating to around the 10th century AD, shedding light on how different cultures blended along the ancient Silk Road. "Our archaeological work officially started in Kyrgyzstan in 2018. Based on our preliminary research, the Chu river valley is a key area where many archaeological sites are distributed. The cities of Suyab, New City (Krasnaya Rechka site) and Talas, frequently mentioned in Chinese literature, are all related to the Chu river valley in Kyrgyzstan. Therefore, we selected the New City site for our archaeological work," said Shao Jing, deputy director of the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology.
The Krasnaya Rechka site, located in Kyrgyzstan's Chui Region and covering an area of approximately 20 square kilometers, is known as New City as recorded in medieval Chinese and foreign documents.
After five years of systematic excavations, the joint archaeological team has made significant discoveries at important locations, such as Buddhist temples and city walls.
Among the findings were a batch of valuable artifacts from around the 10th century AD, which highlight the blending of diverse cultures along the ancient Silk Road. The discoveries provide important physical evidence for studying the interaction and integration among oasis civilization, steppe civilization and Central Plains civilization.
During the medieval period, Sogdian merchants traveled through the Chui Region to reach the East, while the Tang Dynasty (618-907) established the ancient city of Suyab, spreading advanced Central Plains technology and culture deep into Central Asia.
The joint excavations have also further fostered inter-civilization mutual learning and strengthened the deep-rooted friendship between the two countries. "In recent years, we have brought relatively mature technologies, methods and theories from China to Kyrgyzstan, including archaeology methods for settlement sites, city site excavation techniques, advanced surveying and mapping technologies, as well as remote sensing technologies. These methods and technologies have facilitated the presentation of some very important archaeological findings at the New City site. We have also demonstrated the crucial interconnectedness of the Silk Road from its origin to its course with archaeological evidence," said Shao.
Chinese, Kyrgyz archaeologists uncover shared history along ancient Silk Road
