DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, May 2. Tajikistan and Pakistan have discussed facilitating Tajikistan’s access to the Pakistani seaports of Karachi and Gwadar, which could potentially connect Tajikistan to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, Trend reports via the Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan
In a meeting held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan’s Minister of Transport Azim Ibrohim and Pakistan’s Ambassador Muhammad Saeed Sarwar reviewed the status of previous agreements, including the 2021 bilateral agreement on international road transport and the 2022 transit trade agreement.
The two sides emphasized the importance of implementing these agreements and explored the development of transport projects that would enable Tajikistan to connect to international trade corridors via Pakistan’s seaports. They also discussed the potential for establishing new regional routes to support bilateral trade and logistics.
To note, under the intergovernmental transit trade agreement signed in December 2022, the first direct bilateral cargo shipment was successfully delivered when trucks from Pakistan brought agricultural products to Dushanbe via China, bypassing Afghanistan on April 1, 2024. The route from Islamabad to Dushanbe spans approximately 1,044 kilometers.
This agreement aims to further develop trade between the two countries, including through improved border crossings, enhanced international freight transport, and an increase in trade volume. Additionally, it is expected to provide greater access to Pakistan’s seaports of Karachi and Gwadar. According to Ibrohim, the ports can connect Tajikistan with the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
The corridor is a part of the Belt and Road Initiative, aims to connect western China and Central Asia with ports in southern Pakistan. To achieve this, the sides are working on a series of joint projects to develop logistics and energy infrastructure, totaling over $60 billion.