ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Sunday discussed the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) railway line project with his Uzbek counterpart Saidov Bakhtiyor Odilovich, the Pakistani foreign ministry said, adding the two figures expressed hope the project’s framework agreement would be completed soon.
The $4.8 billion Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan railway line is an extensive project with the objective of creating a direct railway link between Uzbekistan and Pakistan, passing through Afghanistan’s territory.
It aims to enhance trade and logistics efficiency by establishing a 573-kilometer rail connection that would connect Termiz in Uzbekistan to the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar via Afghanistan’s Mazar-i-Sharif.
The project is part of Pakistan’s efforts to position itself as a key trade and transit hub, connecting landlocked Central Asian states to the global market through its strategic location.
“Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar today held a telephone conversation with the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Saidov Bakhtiyor Odilovich. The two leaders discussed existing bilateral relations, particularly Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Line Project,” the Pakistani foreign office said.
“They expressed the hope that framework agreement for the regional connectivity project will be finalized soon. Views were also exchanged on current regional situation.”
The three neighboring countries signed an agreement to build the regional connectivity project in February 2021. Dar also visited Afghanistan in April this year and discussed the project with the Afghan Taliban rulers in Kabul.
Pakistan is seeking to leverage its strategic position as a key trade and transit hub to connect Central Asia with global markets and since last year, there has been a flurry of high-level visits, investment discussions and other economic engagements between Islamabad and Central Asian republics.
Pakistan and Uzbekistan have also been working toward optimizing cargo flows, establishing green corridors at border customs points, and digitalization of customs clearance processes to facilitate smoother trade operations.
