Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan signed the Framework Agreement on the Joint Viability Study for the Uzbekistan-Affanistan-Pakistan Railway Project (UAP) in Kabul on Thursday.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ishaq Dar, made the announcement in an X position from Kabul, where he arrived earlier today on a one -day visit for the firm.
“I congratulate the people and governments of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan for the signing of the framework agreement on the joint viability study for the Naibabad -Kharlachi rail link under the UAP railway corridor.
“I also thank the foreign ministers of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan for their support and commitment to the timely firm of the agreement. We remain closely compromised throughout the negotiation process to finish the details.”
He raised the UAP railway corridor as an important milestone in the progress of regional connectivity and economic integration that would connect to the countries of Central Asia with Pakistani maritime ports through Afghanistan.
Giving said that today’s agreement was the result of leadership and commitment to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who had commissioned him as a government finance minister led by Pakistan’s democratic movement to lead the effort with countries.
“We collectively sit down for this transformation project.”
In 2023, the three countries agreed on the orap railway project to build a railway link, which will pass through thermiz in Uzbekistan, Mazar-Sharif and logar in Afghanistan and will enter Pakistan through the crossing of the Kharlachi border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The project will facilitate regional, transit and bilateral trade among participating countries, while supporting passenger and cargo services.
Dar arrived in Kabul today, accompanied by the Minister of Railways Hanif Abbasi, the special representative of Afghanistan and the secretary of the Ministry of Railways.
Dar and Abbasi later met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Afghano, Amir Khan Muttaqi.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (FO), both parties asked to maintain “the impulse in bilateral relations” and the expansion of cooperation in the sectors of commerce, transit and security.
“They agreed to remain committed to achieve all the potential of regional economic development, even through [the] Performing transgional connectivity projects, ”wrote the FO in X.
Earlier in the day, the FO said that the rail project aimed to build a railway link to connect Uzbekistan with Pakistan through Afghanistan and facilitate access to Pakistaní’s maritime ports for the states of Central Asia.
“When facilitating regional trade and transit, the project is expected to promote regional stability, growth and development.”
He added that the agreement between the three participating countries will be an “important step towards its implementation.”
“During the visit, the Deputy Prime Minister (DAR) will also hold a meeting with AFGHAN Foreign Minister and resort to [the] Interim Prime Minister of Afghanistan to discuss bilateral issues and exchange opinions about regional and international developments, ”he said.
Earlier this month, GIV spoke with Uzbekistan Foreign Minister, Bakhtiyor, Sahov and discussed the progress in the framework agreement for the project.
In June, Pakistan and Uzbekistan decided to start working on the trilateral rail traffic corridor project, describing it as a milestone for regional economic growth and stronger commercial ties.
