Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and the UAE to develop railway route to Pakistan

The CASA route will pass through Afghanistan and provide access to Pakistani seaports / Photo: Press service of the government of Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and the UAE have agreed to jointly develop a railway route connecting Kazakhstan with Pakistan’s seaports via Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. The parties formalized their intention to advance the Central Asia–South Asia (CASA) project, aimed at expanding opportunities for international transport, trade, logistics and investment cooperation, by signing a memorandum.

Under the memorandum, signed by the transport ministries of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan and the UAE Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, the parties will conduct the necessary technical and economic studies for the project. These will include analytical assessments and studies into the feasibility of developing railway infrastructure and associated facilities.

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have well-developed railway networks and significant transit potential. The UAE, meanwhile, has extensive expertise in transport infrastructure development, logistics, and implementing large-scale investment projects. The three countries now intend to leverage these capabilities to advance the CASA project and determine implementation mechanisms.

One of the first steps under the memorandum will be to establish a joint working group. Once established, the group will address the project’s technical, economic and financial aspects.

Earlier this year, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin expressed support for the CASA corridor project during talks in Kabul, Afghanistan. The route could transport up to 10 million tons of cargo to the Pakistani ports of Karachi and Gwadar.