Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan signed an important agreement on Thursday to study building a new railway line connecting all three countries.
The Deal:
- Signed in Kabul by the countries’ transport/railway ministries.
- Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar attended with his Afghan and Uzbek counterparts.
- The deal starts a joint study to plan the “Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Project”.
The Planned Railway:
- Will run about 640 kilometres (398 miles).
- Route: Starts in Uzbekistan (Termez), enters Afghanistan (Hairatan), goes to Logar via Kabul, then enters Pakistan (Kurram district).
- Goal: Connect landlocked Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries to Pakistani seaports for trade.
Why it Matters:
- Expected to boost trade and movement of goods across the region.
- Should help bring stability, economic growth, and development to the area.
- Seen as a major step for regional cooperation.
Minister Dar’s Meetings:
- Dar held talks with Afghan leaders, including Prime Minister Mullah Hassan Akhund, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, and Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani.
- They discussed:
- Peace and security.
- Increasing trade and transit.
- Better regional connections (like this railway).
- Managing border security effectively.
- Both sides agreed to keep talking and working together at high levels.
- This was Dar’s second visit to Kabul in three months, showing closer ties.
This agreement marks a significant effort to link Central Asia to the sea through Pakistan and Afghanistan, aiming to unlock the region’s economic potential. it describes an important regional infrastructure project. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar visited Kabul to sign a framework agreement for the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Project. The key points include:- The 640km rail line will connect Uzbekistan to Pakistan via Afghanistan- It will give Central Asian countries access to Pakistani seaports- The project aims to boost regional trade and development- Dar also met with Afghan leaders to discuss security and cooperation The user seems to be practicing or working with news simplification – perhaps they’re a student, journalist, or educator. They consistently want complex news reduced to simple English within strict word limits. For this railway story, I’ll focus on: 1) The basic agreement between the three countries 2) The route and purpose of the rail line 3) The diplomatic meetings in Kabul 4) The expected benefits of the project
