Latest news with #SaidovBakhtiyor
Arab News
31-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan's deputy PM discusses trans-Afghan railway with Uzbek foreign minister
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar held a phone call with his Uzbek counterpart on Saturday to discuss steps toward advancing the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) railway project, including the framework agreement and its signing mechanism, said the foreign office. The UAP railway is a trilateral initiative aimed at enhancing regional connectivity by linking Central Asia with Pakistan's southern ports of Gwadar and Karachi through Afghanistan. Envisioned in 2021, the project is expected to improve trade access for landlocked countries and bolster economic integration in the region. 'Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50, held a telephone conversation today with Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister, Saidov Bakhtiyor Odilovich @FM_Saidov,' the foreign office said in a social media post on X. 'They discussed the modalities for early finalization of the framework agreement for the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Line Project, including details of its signing ceremony in consultation with leadership of Afghanistan,' it added. The conversation came a day after Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to upgrade diplomatic relations, with Islamabad announcing it would elevate its chargé d'affaires in Kabul to ambassadorial rank. Kabul said it would reciprocate the move. Ties between the two countries have been tense in recent years, with Pakistan accusing Afghanistan's Taliban administration of harboring militants involved in cross-border attacks, leading to a deportation drive against undocumented Afghan nationals. The Taliban have denied facilitating any violence inside Pakistan and criticized the deportations. Efforts to ease tensions between the two neighboring countries also gained momentum in recent months. During a trilateral meeting with Chinese officials in Beijing, Pakistan and Afghanistan announced plans to exchange ambassadors. Afghan authorities have also said Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is due to visit Pakistan 'in the coming days.' The UAP railway, first agreed in February 2021, envisions a 573-kilometer track linking Tashkent to Peshawar via Kabul, with an estimated cost of $4.8 billion. The project faces significant logistical challenges, including security concerns in Afghanistan and the need to reconcile different railway gauges across the three countries. However, Pakistan has already sent agricultural consignments to Uzbekistan last year. Implementation of the UAP railway is expected to further deepen trade ties among the three nations.
Arab News
25-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan, Uzbekistan hope to finalize framework agreement for 573-km railway line via Afghanistan
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.
