WASHINGTON: US Defense Secretary Mark Esper has put off a trip to South and Central Asia scheduled for next week because of the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus, the Pentagon said Tuesday.
Esper had been due to visit India, Pakistan and Uzbekistan between March 16 and 20 but decided “to remain in the US to help manage the DoD response” to the outbreak of Covid-19, the new strain of potentially deadly coronavirus spreading around the world, said Pentagon spokeswoman Alyssa Farah.
The US military has been largely spared so far by the coronavirus, with only a dozen or so cases confirmed among its forces deployed around the world.
But officials are trying to keep the Pentagon headquarters, where 20,000 service people and civilian employees work every day, free of the virus.
Civilian employees have been asked to do remote working from home while those who do show up are advised to practice “social distancing” and keep at least two yards (meters) away from their colleagues in the workplace.
US defense chief delays India, Pakistan trip to guide virus response
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US defense chief delays India, Pakistan trip to guide virus response
- Mark Esper was scheduled to travel to South and Central Asia next week
- The US is trying to keep Pentagon virus free where 20,000 service people and civilian employees work every day
Afghan trade resilient in 2025 as Iran, Central Asia routes offset Pakistan closures
- Tensions with Islamabad this year disrupted established transit corridors that connected Afghanistan to seaports for decades
- Afghan traders moved cargo through Iran’s Chabahar port , expanded overland shipments via Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan
KABUL: Afghanistan’s trade remained resilient in 2025 despite repeated closures of key border crossings with Pakistan, commerce ministry data showed, as exporters and importers increasingly relied on alternative routes through Iran and Central Asia.
The stability came even as tensions with Islamabad disrupted established transit corridors that have been landlocked Afghanistan’s main gateway to seaports for decades.
Traders instead moved cargo through Iran’s Chabahar port and expanded their overland shipments via Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, cushioning the impact of delays and political uncertainty.
Total trade — the value of exports and imports combined — rose from the previous year to nearly $13.9 billion in 2025, according to the commerce ministry. Exports stood at roughly $1.8 billion, broadly steady year on year, while imports increased to just over $12.1 billion.
India, Pakistan and several Central Asian states remained among Afghanistan’s largest export destinations with shipments dominated by dried fruit, coal, carpets, saffron and agricultural produce.
Imports continued to be led by fuel, machinery, food staples and industrial inputs, mainly from Iran, the United Arab Emirates, China and regional neighbors. Afghanistan is accelerating efforts to reduce its reliance on Pakistan in the wake of border closures linked to security disputes.
While Pakistan remains its fastest route to the sea, Afghan officials say diversifying its trade corridors has enabled commerce to continue even while relations with its eastern neighbor remain strained.
