From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Tue Nov 27 2001 - 09:32:21 EST
Kyrgyz head says oil, railway are the future at opening of new strategic
road
Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev has spoken of the importance of exploiting
Kyrgyz oilfields for the country's future development. At the celebrations
to mark the opening of a section of the Osh-Bishkek highway, he spoke of
the need to look at new sources of energy. Kyrgyz oil deposits were deep
but he was convinced that they would also be profitable. Companies were
currently concentrated in the Caspian Sea area but this oil would run out
in 5 to 10 years. A feasibility study was also being carried out to build a
railway link through Kyrgyzstan, which would connect Europe and China and
would allow Kyrgyzstan's deposits of coal, oil and aluminium to be
developed. China had approved this project and a railway would also allow
equipment to be transported to help drill for oil. The following is the
text of a report by Kyrgyz TV on 25 November
[Presenter] Another pleasant event happened on 24 November. The opening
ceremony of another section of the Bishkek-Osh highway. To be more precise,
section 161, 81 km [as given] long, is ready for use. This is the most
difficult part of the Bishkek - Osh highway from [words indistinct] to the
middle of Susamyr. It has been reconstructed or upgraded by the well-known
South Korean company Samsung. The work has been supervised by the German
company (?Fihtner). So we can say that the upgrading of this transport
corridor is virtually at an end. Next year implementation of the projects's
third stage will start. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of
this project, because the Bishkek - Osh highway is equally important not
only for two regions - North and South - but also for the whole Central
Region. This is part of the Great Silk Road. In my opinion, of all the
projects in the country which have had large foreign investments and also
investment from Kyrgyzstan, this one is the most far-sighted and
strategically important. It is said that the level of a state's
civilization can be judged by the state of its roads. This is a road that
meets international standards, is a distinctive road of life, the road to
the skies. Its upgrading has given hundreds of jobs to the country's
inhabitants. And in the future it will be a home to small and medium-size
enterprises, as in Europe there are all kind of cafes, petrol stations,
restaurants and hotels along large highways. And, of course, this road is
necessary for tourism. Eminent people from the seven regions of the
country, the Kyrgyz president, Askar Akayev, the Kyrgyz prime minister
[Kurmanbek Bakiyev] and other officials took part in the celebrations.
[Correspondent] By opening another section of the Bishkek - Osh highway, we
can now say that the second stage of the project has come to an end.
Construction work has been finished in the section from 81 km to 161 km in
the village of Sosnovka. Forty-seven million dollars has been spent on
upgrading this section, the Asian Development Bank allocated 82 per cent of
this sum. This bank has been a strategic partner of Kyrgyzstan for several
years. The Asian Development Bank consistently and systematically supports
the course of reforms being taken by the Kyrgyz president, Askar Akayev.
But eight years ago nobody would have suggested that, in time, the Bishkek
- Osh highway, which had been forgotten, would once again connect the north
and south of the country. This highway now connects four of the seven
Kyrgyz regions. The initiator of the road was the head of state, who
suggested upgrading this part of the Great Silk Road in 1993. And it is
surprising that it found a response. As has been pointed out, the Japanese
government and the Asian Development Bank are giving financial support to
the project. In the light of this it is not surprising that Askar Akayev
expressed his sincere gratitude to the strategic partners on 24 November.
In October this year the Asian Development Bank gave finance for the third
and final stage of the project. In his speech the head of state pointed out
the prospects for the project for the construction of the Bishkek - Osh
highway, thanks to which there is now a good transport link between the
northern and southern capitals. Security and traffic speeds have increased
a lot in the mountain part of the road, which is now in use. This has been
achieved due to the 2,500m long tunnel on the Doo Ashuu pass. Askar Akayev
said that the development of the country's transport communications would
give the opportunity for the tourism industry to be developed more
actively, as well as the country's economy in general and for the
infrastructure to be improved. The upgrading of roads in the south of the
country in Bazar-Kurgan, Arslanbob, Tash-Kumyr, Kara-Chagach, Kerbet,
Ala-Buka, and Chatkal will be obvious evidence of this. There is no doubt
that they will assist in developing tourism and combating poverty in these
regions. The third stage of the project plans to upgrade 240 km of road.
Next year it will be the turn of the Bishkek - Georgiyevka highway which is
very important for the country. At present, 81 km remains until Bishkek is
reached. Let me point out that this became possible because the main
contractor - the South-Korean company Samsung - finished the second stage
of upgrading the Bishkek - Osh highway three months ahead of schedule. The
resources saved will be used to upgrade the Sosnovka - Kara Balta road.
[Unidentified person in English overlaid by Russian translation] The Asian
Development Bank gave aid for the first stage of this historical highway in
1996, and for the second stage in 1998. And in October this year we gave
the aid for the third and final stage. The Bishkek - Osh highway passes
through four of the country's seven regions and serves approximately half
of the population. This road connects two main centres - centres of
economic activity and people. These two centres produce more than half the
country's gross domestic product and 80 per cent of the industrial sector.
The road is the country's main transport corridor. The road is the key
section of the transnational road that goes on further to countries which
are located in the north and south. The road, which is suitable in any
weather conditions, connects the two main centres of the country and is
extremely important for Kyrgyzstan's economic development and also for
improving traffic safety.
[Correspondent] In his speech Mr (?Aleksander) [presumably previous speaker]
also said that the Bishkek - Osh highway was the country's most important
transport corridor. Mr Aleksander hoped that the road would bring
prosperity for Kyrgyzstan and reduce poverty. Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Korea to Kyrgyzstan Choi Seung-hoh,
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Kyrgyzstan
Toshimitsu Mori, who was especially invited for the celebration, and the
chairman of the Samsung Corporation (?Tim Sun Kho) also participated in the
ceremony. The latter gave a key to the head of state as a symbol of opening
[word indistinct] into a new and light future. After this, Askar Akayev
drove on the road. At present, as well the project to upgrade the Bishkek -
Osh highway, preparations for the construction of a railway are going on.
Let me point out that the project to construct a railway is now assessed as
a project for the 21 century. The Kyrgyz president, Askar Akayev, says that
this route will connect China and Europe. All the negotiations have already
been conducted. A feasibility study is being carried out. The Chinese State
Council has given its approval. The railway's route has also been set. It
will go through Dzhalal Abad [southern town], Torugart and Kashgar, and
will allow the most important strategic deposits of coal, oil and aluminium
to be developed.
[Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev] It should not only be a transit road. It
should contribute to the development of our country's economy. There are
rich iron ore and aluminium ore deposits on our route. We do not have
reliable and solvent customers of our electricity. And we have to barter.
Thus we don't gain anything from exporting electricity. We are transferring
electricity to our neighbours and are receiving gas and coal which we burn.
We need this electricity to work for the prosperity of our country, for its
development. That is why it would be better for us to smelt aluminium.
Aluminium is valuable and always will be valuable , you know this. There
are deposits of coal and the largest oil deposit is in Aksay. It is deep
but the time will come when it will also be profitable. All oil companies
are now working in the area around the Caspian Sea, because oil is located
on the surface there. But it will finish in 5-10 years. If there is a
railway then some oil companies say that equipment could be transported by
rail. We would commence this drilling now, but, unfortunately, the deposit
is about 10-11 km deep. But you know that this is a continuation of the
(?Tarimskiy), the largest oil deposit in China. And there are great
reserves. Thus, it will open prospects for oil extraction. That is why the
railway will be built. It will be built because it is not only we who are
interested, China is also interested. It will be China's shortest
transcontinental railway route from Shanghai to Paris, 1,500 km shorter
than all the other railway routes. I am not speaking about the
Trans-Siberian railway. And 1,500 km is a tremendous amount [word
indistinct] on the road from Shanghai - Paris. And this is the Great Silk
Road for China, this is the restoration of the Great Silk Road. China is
interested in it. You see that China would like to build the route as far
as Torugart by 2004. This is included in the People's Republic of China's
five year plan. As you know, China always overfulfils its plans.
[Correspondent] Thus, from a [word indistinct] country Kyrgyzstan is
becoming a transit one. The Kyrgyz president thinks that, starting from the
basis of our past, from the memories of our ancestors who used to travel
this road with caravans, all of us are now looking to the future. For
myself, let me add that the upgrading of the Bishkek - Osh highway is not
only the restoration of the Great Silk Road but it is also a road which
will be judged as having the same significance one hundred years from now.
Source: Kyrgyz Television first channel, Bishkek, in Russian 1630 gmt 25 Nov
01
BBC Mon CAU 261101 km/ua
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