06.06.2007, 08:41
IBC Holds a Round Table on Investment in Transport Infrastructure of the Batken Oblast
OREANDA-NEWS. On May 23, 2007 IBC and CBA Osh branch office held a round table “Transport infrastructure is vital for the Batken oblast’s development.” The meeting was organized with the financial support of the Osh OSCE office. Representatives of state authorities, international and donor agencies, civil society, and JK deputies gathered at a round table, reported the press-centre of IBC.
Geographically, the Batken oblast is peculiar in that its territory comprises the enclaves of two neighboring states – Sokh (Uzbekistan) and Varukh (Tajikistan). The French-originated word ‘enclave’ means ‘part of a state’s territory that is surrounded by the territories of other states and has no seashores’.
Established in 1999, the Batken oblast is located in the southwest of Kyrgyzstan and occupies 17,000 sq. km (8,5% of the country’s territory). The region having the population of 410,000 is in the Fergana valley and borders on Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The total length of motor roads in the Batken oblast exceeds 1,2 ths km, whereas asphalted ones make up only 414 km. Running mainly through rural areas, most of them ask for renovation and capital repairs. The Osh-Batken-Isfana highway is the only path linking Batken with other oblasts and Bishkek. The route crosses twice Uzbekistan’s territory and once that of Tajikistan.
Unauthorized checks of documents and cargo, as well as cases of disparaging the oblast’s citizens triggered off numerous conflicts at the frontier, customs, and police posts, said Sultanbay Aijigitov, the Batken oblast’s governor. More than half of the oblast’s population lives across the borders with the enclaves of neighboring countries. Searching after a happier lot, many moved to the northern regions and to other CIS states. That’s why improving the existing roads and building new bypasses (intended to detour the enclaves) remains one of the most important economic and political challenges, both regionally and nationally.
Local citizens not only supported the oblast administration’s initiative on major repair of the 32-km-long Batken-Akturpak bypass but also volunteered to help removing boulders from the way and laying pipes and irrigation flumes – by joining their efforts under the ‘ashar’ method (i.e. working teamwise, with individual local involvement on a voluntary basis).
According to the governor, the reconstruction works were launched in December 2006. On May 5, the passage was opened on a part of the new road, which marked the Batken oblast’s actual independence. Allocated from the oblast budget have been one million soms; individual contributions totaled 1,247,000 soms. At the moment, work is underway on other segments of the Pulgon-Burgandy_Batken bypass spanning 114 kilometers.
However, the building activities were suspended due to scare financing. “This project needs more funds and other technical resources,” said Aijigitov. Therefore, the meeting participants turned to donor agencies for assistance.
“Our task is to provide the region with a transportation system that would be independent from those of adjacent states,” said the governor. Once commissioned, detour roads will foster crop and livestock farming oblastwide, as well as the exportation of produce to other regions.
The detour road forming a transport corridor of international scale will largely accelerate freight traffic in next-door Tadjikistan. Foreigners will be able to freely visit the region, which will eventually draw in more investors and promote small and midsize business. Besides, Tajik citizens will be able to use the whole year round this road being the only one connecting Tajikistan’s Sogdiiskaya oblast (over 2 mln inhabitants) and the ‘big world’.
Seated on one of the oldest branches of the Great Silk Road, Batken may well grow into a popular tourist destination, given better transportation facilities.
Today, however, the oblast is one of the poorest corners of Kyrgyzstan. Meanwhile, its mineral resources including antimony, mercury, coal, wolfram, ruby, gold, aluminum, and others are rich enough to develop mining and metallurgy.
The Batken oblast’s geographical advantage of being positioned at the joint of the Fergana valley’s three states makes it possible to maintain mutual economic relations and to establish free border trade zones.
Creating a Free Economic Zone (FEZ) in the region will foster the region’s overall progress covering investment activities among others, believes Aijigitov. He highly appreciates the region’s economic potential: with some 20 mln people living in the Fergana valley, it seems to be a huge market.
Geographically, the Batken oblast is peculiar in that its territory comprises the enclaves of two neighboring states – Sokh (Uzbekistan) and Varukh (Tajikistan). The French-originated word ‘enclave’ means ‘part of a state’s territory that is surrounded by the territories of other states and has no seashores’.
Established in 1999, the Batken oblast is located in the southwest of Kyrgyzstan and occupies 17,000 sq. km (8,5% of the country’s territory). The region having the population of 410,000 is in the Fergana valley and borders on Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
The total length of motor roads in the Batken oblast exceeds 1,2 ths km, whereas asphalted ones make up only 414 km. Running mainly through rural areas, most of them ask for renovation and capital repairs. The Osh-Batken-Isfana highway is the only path linking Batken with other oblasts and Bishkek. The route crosses twice Uzbekistan’s territory and once that of Tajikistan.
Unauthorized checks of documents and cargo, as well as cases of disparaging the oblast’s citizens triggered off numerous conflicts at the frontier, customs, and police posts, said Sultanbay Aijigitov, the Batken oblast’s governor. More than half of the oblast’s population lives across the borders with the enclaves of neighboring countries. Searching after a happier lot, many moved to the northern regions and to other CIS states. That’s why improving the existing roads and building new bypasses (intended to detour the enclaves) remains one of the most important economic and political challenges, both regionally and nationally.
Local citizens not only supported the oblast administration’s initiative on major repair of the 32-km-long Batken-Akturpak bypass but also volunteered to help removing boulders from the way and laying pipes and irrigation flumes – by joining their efforts under the ‘ashar’ method (i.e. working teamwise, with individual local involvement on a voluntary basis).
According to the governor, the reconstruction works were launched in December 2006. On May 5, the passage was opened on a part of the new road, which marked the Batken oblast’s actual independence. Allocated from the oblast budget have been one million soms; individual contributions totaled 1,247,000 soms. At the moment, work is underway on other segments of the Pulgon-Burgandy_Batken bypass spanning 114 kilometers.
However, the building activities were suspended due to scare financing. “This project needs more funds and other technical resources,” said Aijigitov. Therefore, the meeting participants turned to donor agencies for assistance.
“Our task is to provide the region with a transportation system that would be independent from those of adjacent states,” said the governor. Once commissioned, detour roads will foster crop and livestock farming oblastwide, as well as the exportation of produce to other regions.
The detour road forming a transport corridor of international scale will largely accelerate freight traffic in next-door Tadjikistan. Foreigners will be able to freely visit the region, which will eventually draw in more investors and promote small and midsize business. Besides, Tajik citizens will be able to use the whole year round this road being the only one connecting Tajikistan’s Sogdiiskaya oblast (over 2 mln inhabitants) and the ‘big world’.
Seated on one of the oldest branches of the Great Silk Road, Batken may well grow into a popular tourist destination, given better transportation facilities.
Today, however, the oblast is one of the poorest corners of Kyrgyzstan. Meanwhile, its mineral resources including antimony, mercury, coal, wolfram, ruby, gold, aluminum, and others are rich enough to develop mining and metallurgy.
The Batken oblast’s geographical advantage of being positioned at the joint of the Fergana valley’s three states makes it possible to maintain mutual economic relations and to establish free border trade zones.
Creating a Free Economic Zone (FEZ) in the region will foster the region’s overall progress covering investment activities among others, believes Aijigitov. He highly appreciates the region’s economic potential: with some 20 mln people living in the Fergana valley, it seems to be a huge market.
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