Islamabad:
Pakistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan signed on Thursday a trilateral agreement that involves a key rail project that aims to connect the three countries.
The Framework Agreement on Joint Viability Study for the Uzbekistan-Fanistan-Pakistan (UAP) rail project was signed in Kabul.
The agreement was signed between the Ministry of Public Works of Afghanistan, the Ministry of Transportation of Uzbekistan and the Pakistan Railway Ministry.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ishaq Dar, the Interim Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, Amir Khan Muttaqi, and his counterpart Uzbeko Baxtiyor, Sanov, witnessed the signature ceremony.
The UAP Railway project aims to build a railroad link to connect Uzbekistan with Pakistan through Afghanistan and facilitate access to Pakistani maritime ports for the states of Central Asia, read a statement issued here by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“When facilitating regional trade and transit, the project is expected to promote regional stability, growth and development,” he added.
The statement said that the visit of giving stressed the importance that Pakistan will be attached to the successful realization of the UAP railway project. The signature of the framework agreement on joint viability between the three countries participating in Kabul was an important step towards its implementation.
The proposed railway line of 640 km (398 miles) aims to link the Uzbeka border city of Termez with Hairatan on the Afghan side, which extends to the eastern city of Logar through Kabul, before entering the Border District of Kurram through Kharlachi.
Previously, Dar attended a trilateral meeting in Kabul before the signing of the framework agreement on the joint viability study for the UZBEK-FGHAN-PAK (UAP) railway project.
The meeting reaffirmed strong ties and a shared commitment to peace, connectivity, trade and regional development. The three parties emphasized the importance of sustained cooperation to unlock the economic potential of the region and guarantee long -term prosperity for their peoples.
On the margin, Dar celebrated a series of meetings with the Aphgan Taliban leadership, including interim Afghan prime minister, Mullah Hassan Akhund, Interim Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Interior Minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani.
This was the second visit to give Kabul in three months, highlighting an increase in exchanges between the two countries.
During the meeting with the Aphgan interim prime minister, he exchanged opinions on issues of mutual interest, including peace and security, trade cooperation and regional traffic and connectivity.
Remembering their previous meeting on April 19, 2025, they reaffirmed the commitment of a continuous commitment and agreed to maintain high level contacts to promote bilateral relations.
The Foreign Minister also met with Sirajuddin Haqqani, interim interim minister of Afghanistan, and maintained in -depth discussions on security matters and reaffirmed the importance of eradicating threats to regional countries.
Giving stressed the importance of addressing all problems of concern, in particular border security and management, to take advantage of the maximum potential for economic cooperation and regional connectivity.
