On August 1, 2012, AKipress News Agency published a news report under the headline: “World Bank mission interested in natural resources in northern Kyrgyzstan necessary to find investor for construction of of China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway.” In response to this and further AKIpress reports which do not accurately convey the nature of cooperation between the World Bank and the Kyrgyz Republic in the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway construction initiative the Ministry of Transport and Communication of the Kyrgyz Republic and the World Bank Office in Bishkek would like to provide the following clarifications:
- At the July 31, 2012 meeting with the Minister of Transport and Communication Kalykbek Sultanov the representatives of the World Bank’s transport team discussed the geological mapping of the country in the context of the technical and operational implications associated with the proposed China-Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan railway construction. As the objectives of the Bank’s transport team were limited to studying technical parameters and design standards of the proposed rail link, matters related to the railway construction funding were not discussed at the meeting.
- The assistance of the World Bank to the Kyrgyz Republic with regard to the proposed China - Kyrgyzstan - Uzbekistan railway construction is purely advisory in nature, is funded by a Bank-executed grant of the Trade Facilitation Facility in the amount of about US$950,000, and, as per the Kyrgyz Government’s request, aims at reviewing certain aspects of the previously conducted pre-feasibility studies of the proposed new rail link only.
The Ministry of Transport and Communication of the Kyrgyz Republic and the World Bank regret the misinterpretation that took place and express gratitude to AKIpress News Agency for ongoing coverage of the developments in the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway construction project initiative.
