Kazakhstan and Pakistan are considering various options for transport connectivity in order to create an effective transport and logistics system that could play a critical role in enhancing economic relations.
Vice Minister of Transport of Kazakhstan Talgat Lastaev met with First Deputy Minister of Communications, Railways and Maritime Affairs of Pakistan Syed Mazhar Ali Shah in Astana on 22 January 2024. The talks highlighted the absence of a direct railway connection between the two countries but showcased strong interest in developing alternative transit corridors.
Lastaev emphasized Kazakhstan’s interest in the projects of construction of ML-4 Gwadar-Quetta and Kohat-Tal-Kharlachi railway lines, potentially streamlining land trade.
He also proposed a multimodal route using existing corridors – Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan – for a combined rail and road cargo transportation system.
Looking beyond land infrastructure, Lastaev introduced promising maritime connections.
Talgat Lastaev also spoke about the possible prospects for cooperation in the maritime sector and proposed to jointly develop the international transport corridors “North-South” and Transcaspian Transport Corridor.
“We propose to consider the organization of container transportation and export of goods from Kazakhstan and China through the port of Aktau to Iran and further to Pakistan through the Gulf of Oman as one of the optimal routes for cargo transportation,” the Vice Minister said.
Earlier Kazakhstan showed interest in gaining access to Pakistani seaports, such as Gwadar and Karachi, to promote exports to the markets of Pakistan and South Asia and to increase the attractiveness of the transit potential of the two countries in entering the markets of the Persian Gulf and East Africa.
Additionally, efforts are underway to establish road transport through the TIR transit system via China. ///nCa, 24 January 2024