Foreign ministers of the Taliban, Uzbekistan and Pakistan convened in Kabul on Thursday for a trilateral summit focused on regional trade, infrastructure and economic cooperation.
The meeting culminated in the signing of a framework agreement to launch a joint feasibility study for the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) railway — a proposed trans-Afghan corridor intended to connect Central Asia with Pakistan’s seaports.
The talks, hosted by the Taliban, brought together Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar; Uzbekistan’s foreign minister, Bakhtiyor Saidov; and acting Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. The gathering, Uzbek and Pakistani officials said, marked a notable moment of diplomatic convergence around a project long seen as a linchpin for regional economic integration.
The railway, first proposed in 2018, would run from Termez, Uzbekistan, through the Afghan cities of Mazar-i-Sharif and Kabul, and onward to Pakistan’s border city of Peshawar. Estimated to cost more than $7 billion, the project is expected to boost annual freight capacity by millions of tons and significantly shorten trade routes between Central Asia and global markets.
In a post on X, Pakistan’s special envoy to Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, described the trilateral meeting as a reaffirmation of “strong ties and a shared commitment to peace, connectivity, trade, and regional development.”
He said the three countries emphasized the importance of “sustained cooperation to unlock the region’s economic potential and ensure long-term prosperity for their peoples.”
Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister, Bakhtiyor Saidov, also hailed the summit as a turning point. “Today’s first trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan marks a historic step forward in deepening mutual trust, good neighborliness, and regional cooperation,” he wrote on X.
Saidov confirmed that the parties had signed a Trilateral Framework Agreement to advance the railway project, calling it “a project of strategic significance for all of Eurasia.” The corridor, he added, will “enhance trade, support Afghanistan’s economic recovery, and open new access to global markets via the southern ports.”
He said Uzbekistan remained committed to expanding trade with Afghanistan and Pakistan, including in sectors such as agriculture, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and construction. He also highlighted the importance of increasing the use of the Termez International Trade Center, a logistical hub near the Afghan border.
In a separate post, Saidov said he had also held Uzbekistan’s first formal political consultations with the Taliban foreign minister. The two sides discussed broader cooperation, including regional connectivity, water management, educational support, and cultural preservation.
Despite ongoing international concerns about Taliban governance and human rights, the meeting reflected growing regional momentum to re-engage Afghanistan through infrastructure and commerce. The Taliban, in turn, have framed such projects as essential to reviving Afghanistan’s economy and breaking out of diplomatic isolation.
In a statement, the Taliban said their chief minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund welcomed the trilateral cooperation and stressed that “problems can only be solved through dialogue and cooperation — not through force or threats.” Dar reportedly invited Akhund to visit Pakistan, with the Taliban leader responding that he would consider the invitation “at an appropriate time.”
