UPDATE - Pakistan, Uzbekistan commit to early rail line with Afghanistan

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS; CHANGES LEDE, HEADER, DECK

By Aamir Latif and Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Pakistan and Uzbekistan on Wednesday reaffirmed commitment to early implementation of the long-awaited Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railways project, which would "give boost to bilateral and regional trade become a “bridge between South and Central Asia.”

The commitment reached in a meeting with Uzbekistan’s visiting Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov and his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar in Islamabad, said a statement from Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry.

Saidov arrived on a two-day official visit to Pakistan to boost bilateral relations and trade late Tuesday.

The joint protocol for the Trans-Afghan project, which aims to connect Uzbekistan's and Pakistan's railway networks through Afghanistan, was signed in Islamabad in July last year. It is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2027, and trains could carry goods up to 15 million tons a year by 2030.

The 760-kilometer (472-mile) railroad is expected to reduce delivery times of cargo between Uzbekistan and Pakistan by about five days, aside from reducing the cost of goods transport by at least 40%, according to estimates.

The two sides also underscored the "cultural, civilizational and historical ties between Pakistan and Uzbekistan, which provide a solid foundation for robust partnership in multiple domains." They discussed bilateral economic cooperation, trade, investment as well as connectivity.

The officials agreed to identify new areas of economic cooperation and emphasized the importance of a liberal visa regime especially for the business community to promote linkages and people-to-people contacts.

During his stay in Islamabad, Uzbekistan’s top diplomat also met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.