Islamabad:
Pakistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan signed a trilateral agreement on Thursday involving a key rail project which aims to connect the three countries.
The framework agreement on the joint feasibility study for the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) railway project was signed in Kabul.
The agreement was signed between the Afghan Ministry of Public Works, the Uzbekistan Ministry of Transport and the Pakistani ministry for railways.
The Darrier and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ishaq Dar, the Minister of Affairs of Afghanistan, Amir Khan Muttaqi, and their counterpart Ouzbek Baxtiyor Saidov witnessed the signature ceremony.
The UAP railway project aims to build a rail link to connect Uzbekistan to Pakistan via Afghanistan and facilitate access to Pakistani sea ports for the Central Asian states, read a press release published here by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“By facilitating regional trade and transit, the project should promote regional stability, growth and development,” he added.
The press release indicates that DAR’s visit stressed the importance that Pakistan attached to the successful realization of the UAP rail project. The signing of the framework agreement on the joint feasibility study between the three participating countries in Kabul was an important step towards its implementation.
The proposed railway line of 640 km (398 miles) aims to connect the Ouzbek border town of Termez with Hairatan on the Afghan side, extending to the eastern city of Logar via Kabul, before entering the border district of Pakistan in Kurram via Kharlachi.
Earlier, DAR attended a trilateral meeting in Kabul before signing the framework agreement on the joint feasibility study for the Ouzbek-Afghan-Pak (UAP) railway project.
The meeting has reaffirmed solid links and a shared commitment to peace, connectivity, trade and regional development. The three parties highlighted the importance of sustained cooperation to unlock the economic potential of the region and ensure long -term prosperity for their peoples.
On the sidelines, DAR held a series of meetings with Afghan Taliban leaders, including the Acting Prime Minister Mullah Hassan Akhund, the interim foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and the Minister of the Interior Sirajuddin Haqqani.
It was Dar’s second visit to Kabul in three months, highlighting an increase in exchanges between the two countries.
During the meeting with the Afghan Interim Prime Minister, DAR exchanged points of view on questions of mutual interest, including peace and security, commercial and transit cooperation and regional connectivity.
Recalling their previous meeting on April 19, 2025, they reaffirmed the commitment to continuous commitment and agreed to maintain high -level contacts to promote bilateral relations.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs also met Sirajuddin Haqqani, Acting Interior Minister of Afghanistan and had in -depth discussions on security issues and reaffirmed the importance of eradicating threats to regional countries.
DAR highlighted the importance of resolving all concerns, in particular security and management of border, to exploit the full potential of economic cooperation and regional connectivity.
