Kazakhstan Sees Afghanistan as a Regional Transit Partner in Major Rail Project

Kazakhstan’s ambassador to Islamabad has announced that Astana is ready to fully finance the construction of a regional railway line, a project that will connect Central Asia to Pakistani ports via Turkmenistan and Afghanistan.

Yerzhan Kistafin highlighted the importance of the plan, stating that Kazakhstan’s initiative is not to be seen as ‘aid’ but rather as a mutual economic investment. According to him, the railway could open new trade routes for countries in the region.

Based on estimates provided by the Kazakh ambassador, the construction of the segment related to Afghanistan will take approximately three years. He emphasized that the success of this phase is crucial to the overall realization of the entire project.

Kistafin also said that, in this initiative, Afghanistan is regarded not as an obstacle but as a transit partner. He added that expanding trade and regional connectivity could contribute to establishing economic stability in Afghanistan—an issue that, under the current Taliban administration, requires transparent management and security guarantees for the projects from the country’s ruling authorities.