Spokesman Report
Within the framework of Uzbekistan’s new regional policy on building constructive and mutually beneficial ties with neighboring countries, the development of cooperation with Afghanistan has been identified as one of the priorities.
Uzbekistan has always advocated the early stabilization of the situation in Afghanistan, which is an important condition for ensuring regional security, creates more favorable opportunities for the development of the Uzbek economy, attracting investment and intensifying foreign economic activity.
In March 2018, a high-level international conference on Afghanistan was held in Tashkent: “Peace process, security cooperation and regional connectivity”. In his speech at the conference, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev stressed the importance of implementing trans-Afghan transport and communication projects in Afghanistan for the development of intercontinental transport corridors from East to West and from North to South along the shortest routes.
In 2020, the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev set the task of intensifying cooperation with the countries of South Asia and work on the creation of the Trans-Afghan Transport Corridor. In February 2021, a meeting of the trilateral working group was held in Tashkent with the participation of government delegations of Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Afghanistan on the implementation of the Mazar-I–Sharif–Kabul-Peshawar railway construction project.
In order to solve these problems, the International Conference “Central and South Asia: Regional Connectivity. Challenges and Opportunities” was initiated and held in Tashkent in July 2021. During his speech at the conference, President of Uzbekistan paid special attention to the issue of building a transport and logistics infrastructure that will effectively connect Central and South Asia. At the same time, it was stressed that the construction of the Termez-Mazar-I-Sharif- Kabul-Peshawar railway will allow to fully realize the transit potential of the two regions, form the shortest route, significantly reduce the time and costs of cargo transportation.
A joint Action Plan for the Mazar-I-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway construction project was adopted and the importance of implementing the project on the principle of public-private partnership was noted.
The President of Uzbekistan, in his speeches at the anniversary SCO summit, the SCO–CSTO Meeting, the 76th Session of the UN General Assembly, which took place in September 2021, again paid special attention to the Afghan problem, called for preventing the isolation of Afghanistan. Uzbekistan, despite the difficult situation, did not stop the work of the Uzbek-Afghan transport hub – the most important artery for the supply of food and petroleum products to this country, as well as the uninterrupted supply of electricity to the neighboring country.
Experts believe that this railway is a strategically important project and will connect the regions of Central and South Asia, as well as the Middle East. It will open up the possibility for Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries to access Pakistani ports in the Indian Ocean and significantly increase the transit potential of Central Asia.
The route will significantly reduce the time and cost of cargo transportation between the countries of South Asia and Europe through Central Asia, as well as increase the volume of transit traffic through Uzbekistan. With the full implementation of the project, the transportation of goods from Pakistan to Uzbekistan may take 3-5 days instead of 35, and the cost of transporting a 20-pound container may decrease by almost 3 times. According to forecasts, the volume of cargo transportation can reach up to 10 million tons.
The project will also contribute to the development of the transport network in Afghanistan, which remains in poor condition. Uzbekistan’s proposals aimed at developing Afghanistan’s transport infrastructure, including the construction of the Mazar-I–Sharif–Kabul-Peshawar trans-Afghan railway route, are supported by the new authorities of the country and can be implemented.
In addition, this project is also beneficial to other countries of the region and the entire Eurasian continent. The development of trans-Afghan transit can contribute to the implementation of a number of major interconnectivity initiatives on a mutually beneficial basis.
Of great importance is the fact that the creation of the Trans-Afghan Transport Corridor is an integral part of the infrastructure presented in the speech of the President of Uzbekistan at the Tashkent Conference of the comprehensive program for the development of interconnectedness and cooperation of the countries of Central and South Asia.
Tashkent’s initiatives provide for the development of cooperation between the two regions on a wide range of issues, including the formation of favorable conditions for the development of trade and economic ties and the growth of mutual investments, the introduction of digital platforms, the joint search for ways to ensure food security, the promotion of “green” development, the disclosure of the tourism potential of the two regions and cultural and humanitarian cooperation.
The overall intensification of trade and economic cooperation and the development of sustainable commercial ties between the two regions, including a progressive increase in trade and transit traffic through Afghanistan using the existing transport and logistics infrastructure, will be important for the implementation of the railway construction project. In this regard, it is necessary to continue taking comprehensive trade facilitation measures to accelerate the movement of goods and border crossings.
All this will stimulate the growth of cargo transportation between the two regions and the demand for cargo transit through Afghanistan, which is necessary to attract investors’ interest in participating in the implementation of this major infrastructure project.
By continuing to work on the design and construction of a new railway, Uzbekistan and other project participants, including the new Afghan authorities, demonstrate a desire for positive interaction aimed at achieving long-term goals and objectives of improving the socio-economic situation, stabilizing and developing Afghanistan, its involvement in stable regional trade, economic, political and diplomatic ties.
In general, the construction of the trans-Afghan railway is an important infrastructure project that meets the interests of all states of the Eurasian continent and can have a positive impact on the development of Central Asian countries, trade and economic relations of Asian countries and their interregional interconnectedness, will contribute to building mechanisms for long-term cooperation between states. At the same time, Afghanistan will become not an obstacle, but a bridge for strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation between Central and South Asia, other interested countries and regions.