ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, voiced optimism this week about the signing of a long-anticipated regional railway agreement involving Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, according to a statement from the Pakistani Foreign Ministry.
During a phone call with Uzbek Foreign Minister Saidov Bakhtiyor Odilovich, Dar said he hoped the three countries would soon sign the framework agreement for the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Line Project, which aims to enhance regional connectivity and trade.
“Deputy Prime Minister Dar shared with him his recent discussions in Kabul regarding the UAP Railway Line Project and expressed hope that the framework agreement would be finalized soon,” the ministry said in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The proposed trans-Afghan railway would link Central Asia to South Asia, providing Uzbekistan and other landlocked nations direct access to Pakistani ports via Afghanistan. The project has drawn increasing interest from regional governments as well as international financial institutions.
According to the ministry, the two foreign ministers also discussed strengthening bilateral ties, boosting economic and trade cooperation, and promoting people-to-people exchanges. They also exchanged views on key regional and global developments.
Dar had traveled to Kabul last week, where he met with Taliban officials to discuss economic, trade, and transit relations. Taliban authorities later said the talks also covered major regional initiatives, including the Trans-Afghan Railway and CASA-1000, a regional electricity transmission project connecting Central and South Asia.
While no date has been announced for the signing of the railway agreement, all three governments have in recent months reiterated their commitment to the project as a cornerstone of future regional integration.
