Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar held a telephonic discussion with Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov on Sunday to review progress on the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (UAP) Railway Project framework agreement. The UAP Railway, with an estimated cost of $4.8 billion, aims to boost trade and economic integration across Central and South Asia.

The conversation, part of ongoing efforts to enhance regional connectivity, highlights the strategic importance of the 573-km railway linking Tashkent to Peshawar via Kabul. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to expediting the finalization of the framework agreement, discussing modalities for its signing in consultation with Afghan authorities.

They also agreed to hold further talks on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ Council meeting in Tianjin, China, scheduled for August 31 to September 1, 2025, to advance the project’s implementation.

Despite challenges like security concerns in Afghanistan and differing railway gauges, the project is seen as a catalyst for sustainable development.