Kyrgyzstan and China to set down new border checkpoint

BISHKEK: Today, Kyrgyzstan is opening a new border checkpoint, Bedel, on the Kyrgyz-Chinese border, Trend reports. According to the Kyrgyz Ministry of Transport and Communication, the checkpoint is located on the Barskoon-Uchturfan-Aksu route, which spans 58 kilometers. The road repair and restoration work is almost in the bag, with over 70 percent of the planned tasks already in the books. The Barskoon-Uchturfan-Aksu route runs through the Ashuusu pass, which is located at an elevation of 3,600 meters above sea level and was previously accessible only to livestock herders and border guards using specialized vehicles. The pass is in a remote and challenging mountainous area. However, with the recent road expansion, passenger vehicles can now travel this route, which was formerly limited to cargo trucks. Private organizations are calling the shots when it comes to road construction, acting as subcontractors, while the general contractor is the state enterprise Kyrgyzavtozhol-North. There will likely be an uptick in commerce between China and Kyrgyzstan once the Bedel checkpoint opens, according to the Ministry's statement. Source: Trend News Agency