Islamabad: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, today held a telephonic conversation with Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister, Bakhtiyor Saidov, to discuss the ongoing progress of the Framework Agreement for the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Project.
The call highlighted the concerted efforts being made by all three nations to expedite the finalization of this ambitious regional connectivity initiative. The UAP Railway project aims to establish a direct railway link connecting Central Asia to Pakistan’s ports on the Indian Ocean via Afghanistan, significantly boosting trade and regional economic integration.
Both ministers underscored the strategic importance of the UAP railway for enhancing connectivity and driving sustainable growth and shared prosperity across the region. They also agreed to meet again on the sidelines of the upcoming Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Council of Foreign Ministers meeting, which is scheduled to be held in Tianjin, China, on July 15, 2025. This face-to-face meeting will provide another opportunity to further advance discussions on the railway project and other bilateral and regional matters.
The recent conversation follows earlier high-level engagements, including a meeting between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s foreign ministries in Islamabad just days ago, where the early finalization of the UAP Railway Framework Agreement was also a key agenda item. Both Pakistan and Afghanistan have emphasized the project’s transformative potential and their commitment to overcoming existing challenges, including security concerns and the standardization of rail gauges.
