Special envoys from Pakistan and Uzbekistan on Afghan affairs have discussed strengthening economic cooperation with Afghanistan.
They stated that the focus of their discussions was on expanding collaboration in trade, economic projects, and enhancing regional capacities.
The two officials from Islamabad and Tashkent also discussed the Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan railway project.
Abdulhasib Safi, an economic affairs expert, said: “The more we engage in economic interactions with neighboring countries, the more we can benefit economically from them and utilize the experiences, advantages, facilities, and capacities that neighboring countries and the world possess in the economic sector.”
The regional Trans-Afghan project is one of the key elements in the relations between Tashkent, Kabul, and Islamabad.
This project is designed to create an economic corridor linking Central Asia to the waters of the Indian Ocean and will play a vital role in the development of Afghanistan’s economy; a plan that, since 2018, has not been implemented due to unknown reasons.
Abdul Zuhoor Mudaber, an economic affairs expert, stated: “If the Trans-Afghan project is implemented, it can benefit us and the countries of Central and South Asia; it could reduce costs by 30 to 40 percent. As a result, the decrease in final costs would benefit consumers. Therefore, the implementation of this project would be advantageous for Afghan consumers as well as for Uzbekistan.”
The Ministry of Economy considers Afghanistan the connecting link between Pakistan and Uzbekistan and holds that expanding economic, commercial, and transit cooperation will strengthen the Trans-Afghan project and contribute to the economic growth of all three countries.
Abdul Latif Nazari, deputy minister for technical affairs at the Ministry of Economy, stated: “Afghanistan is the regional hub and a bridge connecting Uzbekistan and Pakistan. Expanding economic, trade, and transit cooperation among these three countries will not only strengthen the Trans-Afghan project but will also lead to economic growth and development in all three nations.”
Efforts by Tashkent and Islamabad to boost economic and transit cooperation centered around Afghanistan have intensified, at a time when Afghanistan conducts over two billion dollars in annual trade with Pakistan and about one billion dollars with Uzbekistan.