Pakistan considers the development of the Trans-Afghan Transport Corridor a key project, said Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“During visits by Pakistani delegations to Russia and Russian delegations to Pakistan, several protocols were signed aimed at expanding cooperation in agriculture, steel production, railway manufacturing, and transport. In particular, we discussed the creation of a transport corridor running from Belarus through Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and ending in Pakistan. I believe this corridor is extremely important,” Sharif said.
The Pakistani prime minister noted that relations between the two countries are progressing in the right direction. He recalled that following his meeting with Putin at the SCO summit in Astana in July 2024, there have been multiple reciprocal delegations. Among them was Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin’s visit to Islamabad in October 2024. Various areas of cooperation, including transport projects, were discussed during these exchanges.
Trans-Afghan railway
In February 2021 Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan signed a roadmap in Tashkent to construct the Termez–Mazar-i-Sharif–Kabul–Peshawar railway line. The project was initially expected to be completed by May 2021, with construction beginning in September 2021. However, political changes in Afghanistan delayed progress. It was only in July 2022 that work commenced in Afghanistan to determine the railway route and conduct a feasibility study. Construction is expected to take at least five years.
Uzbekistan hopes that building the Trans-Afghan railway connecting Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan will start in 2025. This new corridor aims to connect the European Union, Russia, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and beyond into Southeast Asia. The railway is projected to stretch 573 km and have an annual cargo transit capacity of 20 million tons.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk earlier emphasized Russia’s interest in expanding railway routes through Afghanistan to reach Pakistan and India.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the President of the Russian Federation
Based on materials from TASS