On July 17, 2025, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan signed a significant framework agreement to undertake a joint feasibility study of a new regional connectivity project. The agreement is meant to establish a trade and transport route between Central Asia and South Asia via Afghanistan. The move is regarded as a major step in enhancing the regional collaboration, economic relations, and access to international markets by all three states.
The proposal to link Uzbekistan with Pakistan via Afghanistan has been on the table for a couple of years, but security issues and political uncertainties within Afghanistan have been the bane of this project. This agreement is therefore a fresh step to economic integration as all three countries have an interest in regional trade and development.
Source: PTV
Evolution of the Agreement
The concept of connecting Central Asia to South Asia via Afghanistan is not recent. States such as Uzbekistan and Pakistan have been long-searching to enhance regional trade and transportation corridors over the years. With the two regions being separated by Afghanistan, the country is strategically located and hence a possible land bridge. Nevertheless, all these attempts have been significantly delayed or have collapsed entirely because of decades of conflict, instability, and poor infrastructure.
Previously, there had been various local projects to interlink the wider region, Trans-Afghan Railway Project, which was initially proposed in 2021 and was to connect the city of Termez in Uzbekistan to Mazar-i-Sharif and Kabul, and ultimately Peshawar in Pakistan. This rail would provide Uzbekistan with access to Pakistani seaports such as Gwadar and Karachi, which offer a shorter and cheaper trade route in comparison to the existing ones via Iran or Russia.
Also, projects such as CASA-1000 and the Lapis Lazuli Corridor were launched to facilitate energy and trade between Central and South Asia. However, their success was hampered by political distrust, security issues, and a lack of coordination. It is in this backdrop that the July 2025 agreement is a new era, as the three nations are not only engaging in talk about connectivity but are now in an official study together on the feasibility of connectivity. This official action is an indication of a more concerted attempt to take action rather than words as the economics of the region come under pressure to expand via improved trade relationships.
Highlights of July 2025 Agreement
The agreement Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan signed in July 2025 was first planned in 2023 and now is devoted to a joint feasibility study. It aims at finding the most appropriate path, calculating the cost, and knowing the advantages and the risks before any constructions begin. The suggested corridor is a 640km long proposed railway line that would go through Termez (Uzbekistan) to Mazar-i-Sharif – Kabul (Afghanistan), reaching Kurram district (Pakistan). Such a route would enable Uzbekistan to reach the Pakistani ports on the Arabian Sea, and trade would be more swift and economical than through longer routes through Iran or the Caspian Sea.
Upon completion, the railway will have the capacity to transport up to 20 million tons of cargo per year, creating an important trade route between Central Asia and the seaports. This would hugely reduce the shipping rates, boost trade, and give Afghanistan the much-needed transit revenue. The other notable aspect is that the agreement has incorporated a pledge to work together on security coordination and customs coordination, which are usually the greatest barriers in cross-border infrastructure projects.
Strategic and Economic Significance
The trilateral treaty has strategic and economic significance to all three involved countries. To Pakistan, it is an opportunity to have direct trade routes with Central Asia, which is full of energy and resources at last. As things stand, Pakistan is not trading much with other countries such as Uzbekistan because of the lack of connectivity. A transit through Afghanistan would enable Central Asian goods to get to Pakistani ports such as Gwadar and Karachi in a much faster and cheaper way. This would not only increase the export capabilities of Pakistan but also strengthen it as a regional trade and transit hub, especially as part of the larger projects such as China Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Uzbekistan considers this corridor a strategic breakthrough as well. Being a landlocked nation, it has always relied on longer and more expensive northern routes, either through Russia or Iran, to reach the global markets. A transport connection to the seaports of Pakistan would save time and money for Uzbek exporters. This is consistent with the greater foreign policy interest of Uzbekistan on regional connectivity and diversification. Improved access to South Asia markets would also result in increased foreign investment and modernization of its economy, which is seeking to venture outside its traditional sectors such as cotton and gas.
The corridor provides Afghanistan with a needed lifeline economically. In case it was implemented, it would bring transit fees, employment opportunities, and investment resources, which are essential to a country that is in poverty, isolation, and lacks international aid. This project would make Afghanistan a more important region in the region by its capacity as a bridge between Central and South Asia.
Politically, it provides the Taliban government with an opportunity to show that it is capable of regional collaboration and the ability to handle large economic projects. But the realization of these benefits will largely depend on the security conditions as well as how the Afghan authorities will ensure that goods and construction teams get safe and reliable passage.
Regional and Global Implications
The three-way agreement between Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan not only matters to the three countries but also has regional and international implications. To start with, it can transform trade and transport patterns in Central and South Asia, reconnecting two regions that have been physically and politically separate for decades because of geography, politics, and warfare. Should it be successful, the corridor may well be connected in the future to larger regional systems such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and CAREC (Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program), which promote cross-border infrastructure and trade collaboration.
The deal is also being reached when the world is keenly observing the region because of the big world powers. China will probably contribute to this kind of attempt because the offered corridor will complement its Belt and Road Initiative and will increase its power in Eurasia. In the same measure, the project might be received with mixed feelings by Russia.
On one hand, it will contribute to the development of the region; on the other hand, it might decrease the reliance of Central Asia on Russian routes and infrastructure. This development can be viewed as an opportunity by the United States and the European Union to bring economic stability to Afghanistan, but their direct participation is not expected to be high in the current political environment in Afghanistan.
This project can also have repercussions for neighboring states such as Iran and India. Iran may view the corridor as a rival to its Chabahar Port, which it has marketed as a gateway to Central Asia. India, a major supporter of Chabahar, can feel threatened of being excluded from a new route with power over it. Conversely, regional tensions can be controlled, and thus there might be room to cooperate instead of competing, especially in regions such as harmonization of trade and customs facilitation.
Conclusion
Trilateral deal between Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Uzbekistan is a tentative, yet significant move toward realizing the economic potential of regional connectivity. As the project is still at the feasibility stage, it is an indication of a common vision to connect Central and South Asia via trade and transport routes that have the potential to lower prices, expand markets, and gain greater geopolitical leverage. The corridor holds strategic value to Pakistan and Uzbekistan, and to Afghanistan, it presents a precious chance of economic recovery and relevance in the region.
Nevertheless, the future does not look completely smooth. Security instability in Afghanistan, political mistrust, and intricate inter-regional rivalries may all impede the process. Simultaneously, the future of the project will be determined by the support or opposition of such powers as China, Russia, and the U.S. along with the response of the neighboring states, such as Iran and India. In case the feasibility study results in the implementation and long-term collaboration, such trilateral undertaking may turn out to be a game-changer in the redesign of the regional trade patterns and economic integration of a historically divided region in the long term.
