Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan Agree on New Transit Corridor Linking Central Asia to Arabian Sea Ports
A senior Uzbek government official has announced that Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan have reached a preliminary agreement to establish a joint transit corridor that will connect Central Asia to ports on the Arabian Sea.
Jasurbek Churov, Deputy Minister of Transport of Uzbekistan, told EurasiaNet that technical reviews of the project have begun and route surveys are underway. He made these remarks at the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank in Samarkand, adding that the next phase will involve quickly attracting investment and identifying interested partners for the initiative.
According to the Uzbek official, the proposed route passes through eastern Afghanistan and connects via Pakistan to the Karachi and Gwadar ports. He also noted that currently, access to open waters through Iran’s Bandar Abbas port is not feasible due to the region’s ‘unpredictable’ situation.
Churov emphasized that Central Asian countries must collaborate to establish new transit corridors to avoid delays in implementing such projects.
However, reports indicate that the Afghanistan-Pakistan-Uzbekistan corridor faces significant challenges, including financial issues, the security situation in Afghanistan, ongoing tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, and the lack of Western recognition of the Taliban administration. These factors could cast uncertainty over the project’s implementation.
While a fragile ceasefire was established following clashes earlier this year between Afghanistan and Pakistan, tensions persist and may impact progress on the transit corridor.
The Taliban administration has yet to comment on the agreement or its details. Clarification regarding commitments, security guarantees, and operational frameworks is crucial to gaining the trust of investors and the Afghan people.
