8 Subh, Kabul: The roadmap for the Mazar-e-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway project was signed by representatives of Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan at a conference in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the railway plan was signed on Tuesday, January 12, by representatives of the three countries.
The Foreign Ministry said that with the construction of this railway, an important step had been taken towards connecting and expanding regional cooperation, and the common dream of “connecting Central Asia with South Asia through Afghanistan” would be realized.
Foreign Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar, who co-chaired the conference, said that connecting and communicating not only meant using the potential of expanding trade, transit, and investment to grow the economy and achieve prosperity, but it also meant building capacity and strengthening the foundations of cooperation for peace, stability, and security.
Atmar added that the implementation of the trilateral railway project is an integral part of Afghanistan’s regional connectivity. According to him, the implementation of WTO rules on regional connectivity and anticipation of required policies can help the three parties to meet and address potential challenges.
At the conference, Sardar Omurzakov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade of the Republic of Uzbekistan called the construction of the Mazar-e-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway an important and historic project of the present century. Omurzakov announced his country’s full readiness to successfully implement the project.
Abdul Raziq Dawood, Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, called for the launch of a trilateral meeting and the signing of a roadmap for the construction of the Mazar-e-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway, paving the way for new borders and trade and achieving a common vision for the project.
“It is time to use our strategic position to expand the region’s communications and connectivity, and to harness the potential of our trade and economic exchanges,” he said.
Representatives of a number of international financial organizations and institutions, including the Islamic Development Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, and the US Ambassador to Uzbekistan, also addressed the meeting. The speakers announced their readiness to finance and support the Mazar-e-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway project.
