BISHKEK, May 13 (Xinhua) -- A Kyrgyz expert has said that a new highway built by China under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will not only help Kyrgyzstan in economic development, but also create international transport corridors that will promote growth throughout Central Asia.

"The north-south road already serves as an important link in cooperation between countries and international trade, primarily between China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Russia. Thanks to the initiative, the volume of trade between Kyrgyzstan and China has been growing annually in the past 10 years," he said.

The expert stressed that the north-south road is twice as long as the existing Bishkek-Osh highway, which links the two parts of Kyrgyzstan, and this makes it possible to halve the cost of transporting goods from China, from the northern part of Kyrgyzstan to the south, and then to Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

Thanks to the BRI and the road transport corridors that exist in Central Asian countries, very beneficial relationships are being built between Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan as well as their large trading partner -- China, he said.

"And for Kyrgyzstan, this is an access to sea routes through China. Sending goods through the territory of Central Asian countries to Southern Europe, Türkiye, Iran is important not only for China, but also for Central Asian countries that want to supply their goods to the countries of Southeast Asia through Chinese ports," Baktygulov said.