Pakistan and Uzbekistan reiterated their dedication to expeditiously completing the proposed railway link traversing Afghanistan, fostering enhanced regional connectivity and trade opportunities.
Following a meeting between Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar, the Foreign Office issued a statement affirming the commitment to promptly execute the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railways project. This project is poised to invigorate bilateral and regional trade, serving as a pivotal bridge between South and Central Asia.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during his discussions with FM Saidov, also underscored the railway project’s significance, emphasizing Pakistan’s steadfast commitment to its timely realization.
In February 2021, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan had agreed to construct a railway line traversing Afghanistan to connect Central Asia with Pakistani ports, projected at an estimated cost of $4.8 billion. Last July, the three nations signed a protocol delineating the project’s route, spanning from Termiz, Uzbekistan, through Afghanistan’s Mazar-i-Sharif and Logar provinces, and concluding in Pakistan via the Kharlachi border crossing in Kurram district.
