Central Asia rail link closer

Kyrgyzstan has agreed in principle with China and Uzbekistan to build a railway linking them.

The Kyrgyz Transport Minister, Kubanychbek Dzjumaliyev, said it would be the shortest rail link between Paris and Beijing.

He told journalists that the scheme would cost between $1bn - $2.3bn.

Finances had not yet been finalised but construction would begin on a concession basis.

There are three rail links between Paris and Beijing, the most famous being the Trans Siberian Railway which is the longest continual rail link in the world.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service