Second National Workshop in the Kyrgyz Republic

The second National Workshop in the Kyrgyz Republic, organised under the EU-funded Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor (TCTC) Coordination Platform, took place in Bishkek on 29 April 2026. The event was co-chaired by Mr. Baktyluu Mombekov, Deputy Minister of Transport and Communication of the Kyrgyz Republic and Mr. Hans Farnhammer, the Head of Cooperation of the EU Delegation to the Kyrgyz Republic. 

The event brought together representatives of the Ministry of Transport and Communication of the Kyrgyz Republic, the national railway company Kyrgyz Temir Jolu, the European Commission and the EU Delegation, the EU Member States, the international financial institutions EBRD, EIB, WB ADB and AIIB, and the representatives of development partners from GIZ, Expertise France, and the International Trade Centre (ITC). The workshop was aimed at taking stock of progress achieved so far and further advancing coordination and dialogue on priority investments along the Corridor in Kyrgyzstan.

During the welcoming remarks, Fabienne van den Eede from the European Commission highlighted the strategic importance of the TCTC within the framework of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, reflecting a shared commitment to strengthening sustainable connectivity, enhancing economic resilience and deepening cooperation between Europe and Central Asia. She noted that, to date, approximately EUR 2.5 billion of the EUR 10 billion pledged under the Global Gateway initiative has already been committed to concrete projects across the region.

The discussions focused on the ongoing priority investments initiatives, as well as national priority investments for further development of road, rail, and logistics networks within the Kyrgyz Republic. 

At the second Investors Forum and TCTC Connectivity event in Tashkent in November 2025, the following key contracts have been signed: the Kara Balta – Chaldovar Road Project; preparatory studies with the EBRD and the World Bank, including the detailed feasibility study for the Ivanovka logistics centre; and partnerships with GIZ and Expertise France on soft connectivity. 

The Kyrgyz partners and EBRD have reported on the status of two priority projects: 

• Reconstruction of a 31.7-kilometre section of the Kara-Balta–Chaldovar road, which forms part of the CAREC 3 corridor, with total budget of up to 50 million euros, incl. EBRD financing of up to EUR 35.7 million euro and the EU grant support of up to EUR 15 million. The feasibility study is ongoing, and the results are to be ready by June 2026. Commencement of construction works is planned for 2027
• Construction of the Ivanovka Multimodal Terminal with total estimated budget of about EUR 83 million Euro. The EBRD has completed Pre-Feasibility investigations; full feasibility study to be commenced by July 2026.  

The Kyrgyz authorities provided an update on ongoing strategic infrastructure initiatives, including the flagship China–Kyrgyzstan–Uzbekistan (CKU) railway project. The planned railway corridor is expected to connect the Torugart border crossing with China to the transhipment hub at Makmal — envisaged as a key multimodal node integrating rail, road and air transport — and further onwards to the border station at Manas (formerly Jalal-Abad) on the border with Uzbekistan.

The following set of proposed priority investment projects has been presented by the Ministry of Transport of Kyrgyzstan and the national railway company:

Road projects: 

• Construction of a road tunnel at the Taldyk Pass on the Osh–Sary-Tash–Irkeshtam 
• Construction of protective structures on the new North–South Road (Manas – Balykchi).
• Construction of the Osh bypass road
• Construction of the new ‘Bishkek–Saz–Sosnovka road (66 km of new alternative road)
• Reconstruction of the Bishkek–Naryn–Torugart, Osh–Sary-Tash–Irkeshtam (CAREC-2), Bishkek–Osh and Sary-Tash–Karamyk roads

Railway projects

• Construction of new Balykchi - Kochkor–KaraKeche–Makmal railway line to connect the existing railway with the new CKU railway. The line is 236 km long. The estimated cost of preparing the feasibility study is between 2 and 3 million US dollars. The project is estimated to cost between US$3 billion and US$4 billion.
• Modernisation of Osh Station, a multimodal logistics hub in the south of the country, connecting to Uzbekistan and further to Tajikistan. The objective is to modernise the freight yard to increase its throughput capacity

Representatives of the international financial institutions, including the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, presented updates on their ongoing and planned transport connectivity initiatives in the Kyrgyz Republic and the wider Central Asian region. The presentations highlighted current investments aimed at improving regional transport infrastructure, strengthening trade and logistics connectivity, and enhancing the resilience and efficiency of cross-border transport corridors.

The IFIs also reaffirmed their continued commitment to supporting the further development of the TCTC, underlining the importance of coordinated regional approaches, sustainable infrastructure investments and strengthened cooperation among governments and development partners to advance the Corridor’s long-term competitiveness and operational efficiency.

In parallel, exchanges covered EU-funded soft connectivity projects:

The “Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor (TCTC) Capacity Development Programme” is a project, implemented by GIZ and Expertise France, aimed at improving soft connectivity, regulatory alignment, and institutional capacity across Central Asia. Spanning 42 months from December 2025 to May 2029, the initiative has a total budget of EUR 15.34 million and covers Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. 

A primary focus of the programme is strengthening capacities for trade and transport facilitation through the digitalization. 

The programme addresses also market liberalization and gender-responsive reforms, such as supporting women-led logistics businesses. Other key outputs include modernizing tariff-setting mechanisms and implementing digital transport asset management strategies for railways and roads. 

The Ready4Trade Central Asia (R4TCA) project, implemented by the ITC, is a four-year, EUR 10 million initiative funded by the EU to enhance connectivity along the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor. Running from 2024 to 2028, the project involves Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Its primary objectives are to simplify cross-border formalities, improve regional coordination, and strengthen the competitiveness of businesses for international markets. 

A major achievement highlighted is the expansion of national trade portals and the Central Asia Gateway, which now serve over 500,000 users. To ensure sustainability, the project established a Portal Knowledge Hub to provide specialized training for national lead agencies. Regional efforts are focused on aligning the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) frameworks and establishing mutual recognition agreements between the countries.