Pakistan seeks $4.8 billion international loan for railway to Uzbekistan through Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has signed a joint letter with Afghanistan and Uzbekistan seeking $4.8 billion in financing from international agencies for a railway from Pakistan to Uzbekistan through Afghanistan.
“Today the Prime Minister signed a letter for a joint approach with Afghanistan & Uzbekistan for asking international financial agencies to finance the railway from Pakistan to Uzbekistan through Afghanistan,” commerce adviser Abdul Razak Dawood said on Twitter on Tuesday. “This fits well with our vision for trade and connectivity through Afghanistan to the Central Asia Republics.”
Dawood said under process trade agreements with Afghanistan would be followed by similar agreements with Uzbekistan.
“I hope to visit Uzbekistan in January 2021 … this will open doors for increase in our exports,” the adviser said.
The signing ceremony, held at the Prime Minister’s Office in Islamabad, was attended by Uzbekistan’s Minister for Transport Makhkamov Ilkham. The joint appeal has already been signed by the presidents of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.
Ilkham also called on Prime Minister Khan separately and discussed bilateral relations, regional connectivity and peace and security in the region.
A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office said Khan underlined Pakistan’s resolve to forge closer trade, investments energy and people-to-people ties with Central Asia.
Khan highlighted the importance of joint efforts to promote regional connectivity for the sake of economic growth and the development of the region and said his country’s seaports provided a great opportunity to Central Asian states to access the Indian Ocean.