Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan Debate Bishkek - Tashkent Economic Corridor Dev't

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, April 8. President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov, Minister of Economy and Commerce of Kyrgyzstan Bakyt Sydykov, and Uzbekistan's Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade Akram Aliyev have discussed Bishkek–Tashkent economic corridor development, Trend reports via the Kyrgyz ministry.

The meeting took place during the EU-Central Asia Summit in Samarkand.

Meanwhile, the Bishkek-Tashkent economic corridor aims to reduce logistical barriers and increase the region's competitiveness. The sides also discussed plans to increase bilateral trade to $2 billion.

In addition, both sides explored joint projects in transportation and energy infrastructure modernization, as well as potential industrial and investment initiatives. Key initiatives included the opening of the International Trade Center Termiz and the establishment of trade houses in Tashkent and Bishkek.

The Bishkek–Tashkent Economic Corridor is included in the list of potential flagship infrastructure projects under the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) strategy through 2030.

Kyrgyzstan is already actively developing an economic corridor under CAREC with another Central Asian country, Kazakhstan, known as the Bishkek–Almaty Economic Corridor (BAEC). The Asian Development Bank (ADB) serves as the secretariat for both the CAREC Program and the BAEC initiative.

The data of Uzbekistan's Statistics Committee shows that trade turnover between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan reached $163 million from January through February 2025. The figure has increased by 69.4 percent compared to the same period of 2024 ($96.2 million).

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