Pakistan, Uzbekistan on the Brink of a Breakthrough: Railway to Cut Transit From 35 to 5 Days
Railroad, file photo.
A five-year roadmap for trade and economic cooperation between Pakistan and Uzbekistan is expected to be signed next week in Islamabad, according to media reports. The sides have set an ambitious target of increasing bilateral trade from $450 million to $2 billion within five years.Reliance on Afghan roads leaves trade vulnerable to instability, said Ahmed Rid, associate professor at the National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University.
The trilateral Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway project is vital. It would slash transit times from 35 days to just 3–5 days and reduce transport costs by at least 40%, the expert emphasizes.”If this project materializes, then the bilateral trade may definitely go up to the projected number,” says Rid.
AnalysisPakistan and Turkiye Sign Strategic Minerals, Energy Pact6 July, 13:52 GMTOther key points according to Rid
On the scale of the visit: Over 100 Uzbek companies arriving in Islamabad is unprecedented and reflects the strategic push toward the $2 billion target. Uzbek businesses are interested in textiles, pharmaceuticals, mining, agriculture, and logistics
On geopolitics: Central Asian states are seeking alternatives due to Afghan instability and the Iran-US war. Pakistan, with its ports and strategic partnership with China, is seen as a reliable option.
EconomyRussian Companies Expand Cooperation With Uzbekistan14 December 2024, 11:09 GMT
