KABUL (Pajhwok): Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a railway corridor through Afghanistan linking Central Asia with Pakistan’s seaports.
According to Kazakhstan’s Kursiv news agency, the transport ministries of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure signed the memorandum to expand cooperation in international transport, trade, logistics and investment.
Under the agreement, the three countries will conduct technical and economic studies to assess the feasibility of developing the Central Asia–South Asia (CASA) corridor.
The studies will include analytical assessments and feasibility evaluations of railway infrastructure and related facilities.
The report said Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have extensive railway networks and significant transit capacity, while the UAE has considerable experience in developing transport infrastructure, logistics and investing in large-scale projects.
Under the memorandum, the three countries will seek to use their respective capabilities to advance the CASA project and identify practical mechanisms for its implementation.
As an initial step, the countries will establish a joint working group to examine the project’s technical, economic and financial aspects.
Meanwhile, Serik Zhumangarin, Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, expressed support for the CASA corridor during talks in Kabul earlier this year.
According to Kursiv, the proposed route could transport up to 10 million tonnes of cargo annually to Pakistan’s ports of Karachi and Gwadar.
The corridor would run through Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, providing Central Asian countries with access to Pakistan’s seaports.
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