KABUL: Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar arrived in Kabul on Thursday for a one-day visit to sign the Framework Agreement on the Joint Feasibility Study for the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Project, according to a statement from Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO).
The UAP Railway Project, agreed upon by the three countries in 2023, aims to establish a vital rail corridor connecting Termiz in Uzbekistan, Mazar-i-Sharif and Logar in Afghanistan, and entering Pakistan via the Kharlachi border crossing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The railway will support both passenger and freight services, and is expected to enhance bilateral, regional, and transit trade among the participating nations.
Foreign Minister Dar was accompanied by Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi, Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, and the Secretary of the Ministry of Railways.
During the visit, Dar and Abbasi held a meeting with Afghan Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, where both sides emphasized the need to sustain momentum in bilateral relations and deepen cooperation in trade, transit, and security.
“They agreed to remain engaged to unlock the full potential of regional economic development, particularly through the implementation of trans-regional connectivity projects,” the FO said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
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Earlier in the day, the FO reiterated that the railway project is intended to link Uzbekistan to Pakistan via Afghanistan, granting Central Asian states access to Pakistani seaports. The initiative is expected to promote regional stability, economic growth, and development.
The signing of the agreement is seen as a significant step toward the project’s realisation. During the visit, Dar is also expected to meet Afghanistan’s acting prime minister to discuss bilateral matters and exchange views on regional and international developments.