———- Dar hails UAP railway agreement as milestone in regional connectivity
———- Calls railway project “transformational”
———- UAP Railway Project to connect Uzbekistan with Pakistan via Afghanistan, offering Central Asia access to seaports
By Our Diplomatic Correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan signed the Framework Agreement on the Joint Feasibility Study for the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Project in Kabul on Thursday.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar made the announcement in a post on X from Kabul, where he arrived earlier today on a day-long visit for the signing.
“I congratulate the people and governments of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan on the signing of the Framework Agreement on the Joint Feasibility 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 for timely signing of the agreement. We remained closely engaged throughout the negotiation process to finalise the details.”
He hailed the UAP Railway Corridor as a major milestone in advancing regional connectivity and economic integration that would connect Central Asian countries to Pakistani seaports through Afghanistan.
Dar said the signing of today’s agreement was a result of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership and commitment, who had tasked him as finance minister of the Pakistan Democratic Movement-led government to lead the effort with the countries.
“We collectively laid the foundation for this transformational project.”
The foreign ministers of the three countries held a meeting before the signing.
“The meeting reaffirmed strong ties and a shared commitment to peace, connectivity, trade and regional development. The three sides emphasised the importance of sustained cooperation to unlock the region’s economic potential and ensure long-term prosperity for their peoples,” the Foreign Office (FO) said.
In 2023, the three countries agreed on the UAP Railway project to build a rail link, which will pass through Termiz in Uzbekistan, Mazar-i-Sharif and Logar in Afghanistan and enter Pakistan via the Kharlachi border crossing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The project will facilitate regional, transit, and bilateral trade amongst participating countries, while supporting both passenger and freight services.
Dar arrived in Kabul earlier today, accompanied by Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi, the special representative for Afghanistan, and the secretary of the Ministry of Railways.
Dar and Abbasi later met acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.
According to the FO, both sides called for maintaining “the momentum in bilateral relations” and expanding cooperation in the trade, transit and security sectors. “They agreed to remain engaged to achieve the full potential of regional economic development, including through [the] realisation of trans-regional connectivity projects,” the FO wrote on X.
Dar later met Afghan Prime Minister Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund, and the two leaders exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, including peace and security, trade and transit cooperation and regional connectivity.
In a meeting with acting Afghan Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, both sides held in-depth discussions on security matters and reaffirmed the importance of eradicating threats to regional countries.
FM Dar underlined the importance of addressing all issues of concern, in particular security and border management, to harness the full potential of economic cooperation and regional connectivity.
Earlier in the day, the FO said the railway project aimed to build a rail link to connect Uzbekistan with Pakistan via Afghanistan and facilitate access to Pakistani seaports for Central Asian States.
“By facilitating regional trade and transit, the project is expected to promote regional stability, growth and development.”
It 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 the Afghan acting foreign minister and will call on [the] acting prime minister of Afghanistan to discuss bilateral matters and exchange views on regional and international developments,” it said.
Earlier this month, Dar spoke with Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov and discussed progress on the Framework Agreement for the project.
In June, Pakistan and Uzbekistan decided to begin work on the trilateral railway transit corridor project, describing it as a milestone for regional economic growth and stronger trade ties.
