Pakistan’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, held a virtual meeting with his Uzbek counterpart, Ismatullah Ergashev, to discuss regional cooperation and progress on the ambitious Trans-Afghan railway project.

The two envoys engaged in wide-ranging discussions on their countries’ respective relations with Afghanistan, emphasizing areas such as trade, economic cooperation, and capacity building. Central to the dialogue was the Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan railway project, which aims to connect Heratan in northern Afghanistan, near the Uzbek border, to Kharlachi, situated on the Durand Line.

Describing the meeting as “productive,” Mohammad Sadiq said the connectivity initiative holds strategic importance for the entire region. “This vital connectivity initiative will play a significant role in Afghanistan’s development and the broader progress of our region,” he stated in a post on X following the talks.

The three countries signed an agreement in February 2021 to construct a 573-kilometer railway line through Afghanistan, connecting landlocked Central Asia to Pakistan seaports, with an estimated cost of $4.8 billion to enhance regional economic connectivity.