ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Thursday underscored that regional connectivity is not optional but a critical driver of stability, economic growth, and shared prosperity across South and Central Asia.
Addressing the Regional Transport Ministers’ Conference in Islamabad, Dar highlighted Pakistan’s strategic role as a natural hub linking South Asia with Central Asia, the Middle East, and China.
Dar said that many countries in the region were already investing in forward-looking connectivity projects.
“Central Asia is emerging as a true trans Eurasian land bridge,” he said.https://t.co/uWZnBLlapH
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“Connectivity is essential for stability, growth and shared progress. Regional cooperation directly impacts the lives of millions of our people,” he said, emphasizing the importance of coordinated infrastructure and trade linkages.
The conference gathered transport ministers from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, alongside delegates from the Asian Development Bank, Economic Cooperation Organisation, International Road Transport Union, and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific.
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Dar pointed to several landmark projects, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), describing it as a catalyst for energy infrastructure, transport connectivity, and enhanced trade across South and Central Asia. He also cited initiatives like the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan Railway Framework Agreement, the Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad road and rail corridors, and energy transmission projects CASA-1000 and TAP-500 as vital for regional integration.
He stressed that Pakistan’s expanding high-speed motorways and modernised ports, combined with efforts to improve air and digital connectivity, aim to transform the country into a seamless trade and transit corridor.
“Physical and digital connectivity must advance together,” Dar said, emphasizing the country’s focus on digital trade platforms and e-port integration to boost efficiency, transparency, and competitiveness.
The conference is a key step towards enhancing multilateral cooperation on transport and infrastructure in the region.
