ISLAMABAD, June 17. /Dunyo IA/.  Ambassador of Uzbekistan Alisher Tukhtaev, met with Minister for Railways of Pakistan Muhammad Hanif Abbasi, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

During the negotiations, parties discussed the current state and prospects of cooperation between the two countries in the transport and communication sphere, as well as matters regarding the practical implementation of agreements reached at the highest level.

At the beginning of the meeting, Minister Muhammad Hanif Abbasi noted the outcomes of the state visit of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, to Pakistan, which took place on February 5–6 of the current year. It was particularly emphasized that within the framework of the visit, crucial agreements were reached aimed at elevating bilateral cooperation in the transport sector, primarily in the field of railway connectivity, to a qualitatively new level.

According to the Pakistani side, these agreements are of strategic importance not only for Uzbekistan and Pakistan, but also for strengthening transport and logistics connectivity between the countries of Central and South Asia, as well as the member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States.

In particular, the Trans-Afghan Railway construction project along the “Termez – Naibabad – Logar – Kharlachi” route is viewed as a major infrastructure initiative that contributes to strengthening regional connectivity, expanding trade and economic ties, and forming new, efficient transport corridors for international freight shipping.

In this regard, particular attention during the meeting was paid to the matters of timely and consistent implementation of the agreements reached following the highest-level meetings, as well as accelerating the process of preparing the feasibility study for the Trans-Afghan Railway construction project.

Following the negotiations, an agreement was reached to organize a visit to Uzbekistan by a delegation led by the Minister for Railways of Pakistan for detailed discussions on the matters reviewed with representatives of the Republic's relevant ministries and agencies.

It was noted that the upcoming visit will be of vital importance for further strengthening the strategic partnership relations between Uzbekistan and Pakistan, expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in the transport sector and defining bilateral tasks aimed at ensuring the sustainable economic development of the region.