Kabul: The Afghan interim government, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan have signed a feasibility study agreement for the Trans-Afghan Railway project, aimed at boosting trade and transit across Central and South Asia, the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement late Thursday. The agreement was signed during a formal ceremony held in Kabul, in the presence of the acting Afghan foreign minister, foreign ministers of Uzbekistan and Pakistan, alongside senior officials from all three countries, the statement added.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the Uzbek-Afghan-Pak (UAP) Railway Corridor is a major milestone in advancing regional connectivity and economic integration. This corridor is set to connect Central Asian countries to Pakistan seaports through Afghanistan. Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar highlighted the strategic significance of the project on X (formerly Twitter).

Uzbekistan's Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov also expressed the corridor's importance on his X account, emphasizing its role in enhancing trade, supporting Afghanistan's economic recovery, and opening new access to the global market via southern ports. This trilateral initiative will assess the technical and economic feasibility of constructing a railway line that would pass through Afghanistan, linking Uzbekistan to Pakistan.

The proposed 573 km railway has been under consideration for several years as a strategic infrastructure project to strengthen trade ties between Central Asia, South Asia, and global markets. At an estimated cost of 4.5 to 6 billion U.S. dollars, the route is expected to stretch from Termez in Uzbekistan, pass through Mazar-i-Shari and Logar in Afghanistan, and continue onward to Pakistan.