By: Fozil Mashrab
An official delegation from Uzbekistan, led past times Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov, visited Islamic Republic of Pakistan on Nov 1–2. Kamilov together with his retinue were received past times Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan together with held meetings alongside Foreign Minister Mahmood Qureshi every bit good every bit the host country’s tiptop armed forces brass. In the discussions alongside Pakistani officials, the Uzbekistani unusual government minister proposed several ground-breaking initiatives, including a railroad connector betwixt the 2 countries that would transcend through Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (The New Indian Express, Nov 2).
The proposal to construct a rails link to Islamic Republic of Pakistan came 1 calendar month after Uzbekistan’s President Shavkat Mirziyaev traveled to India, on Oct 1. In Delhi, the Uzbekistani caput of province invited his hosts to partner inwards implementing approximately other trans-Afghan railway project, connecting the Afghan cities of Mazar-I-Sharif together with Herat. Uzbekistan’s authorities pledged $500 1000000 from its ain funds for this of import railway line, which, if realized, volition boot the bucket the shortest transit route to the Iranian port of Chabahar. The Indian authorities did non straight off agree, however, together with is taking its fourth dimension to consider the Uzbekistani proposal (The Hindu, September 28; Review.uz, Oct 30).
Trans-Afghan railway plans convey existed for many years together with currently are business office of the Uzbekistani government’s novel strategy of developing all-round cooperation alongside Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (see EDM, The Diplomat, Apr 12), then far the authorities seems to lack practical solutions to address the diverse geopolitical together with fiscal challenges that soundless prevarication ahead for these multi-million dollar projects inwards neighboring Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan together with Kyrgyz Republic (Sputniknews-uz.com, Oct 22). In a like fashion, Belarus’s President Alyaksandr Lukashenka, during his see to Tashkent final September, expressed involvement inwards partnering alongside Uzbekistan to export Byelorussian farm mechanism to Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan (Podrobno.uz, September 13).
Uzbekistan already implemented a release of vital infrastructure together with unloosen energy projects inwards Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan inwards the past times together with is arguably Afghanistan’s alone vecino alongside which the authorities inwards Kabul does non currently convey whatsoever irritants inwards bilateral relations. Having said that, however, inwards the broader geopolitical context that involves exterior powers vying for influence inwards Afghanistan, Uzbekistan does non shortly wield much strategic influence over developments inwards this strategically of import neighboring country. Perhaps every bit a result, Zalmay Khalilzad, the United States’ Special Representative to Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan Reconciliation, did non include Uzbekistan inwards his kickoff regional tour, which latterly took him to Afghanistan, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar together with Saudi Arabia—traditionally considered influential power-brokers vis-à-vis Kabul (The Diplomat, Apr 12), then far the authorities seems to lack practical solutions to address the diverse geopolitical together with fiscal challenges that soundless prevarication ahead for these multi-million dollar projects inwards neighboring Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan together with Kyrgyz Republic (Regnum.ru, Oct 8). On tiptop of that, incriminating testify suggests that recent Chinese-government-financed projects inwards Kyrgyzstan, such every bit the renovation of the Bishkek Power Plant inwards 2017, were marred past times blatant corruption involving Kyrgyzstani officials together with Chinese companies. These revelations convey farther complicated matters together with were approximately other strong blow against back upward for Chinese-linked projects inwards Kyrgyz Republic (The Diplomat, Apr 12), then far the authorities seems to lack practical solutions to address the diverse geopolitical together with fiscal challenges that soundless prevarication ahead for these multi-million dollar projects inwards neighboring Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan together with Kyrgyz Republic (Centralasia.news, September 26).
Shuttle diplomacy past times tiptop Uzbekistani officials together with declarations signed during meetings alongside Afghan, Indian or Pakistani leaders tin boot the bucket on eternally without much modify on the ground, every bit illustrated past times the lack of progress inwards the final 2 decades alongside the implementation of other of import trans-Afghan projects, such every bit the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) natural gas pipeline. Therefore, Uzbekistan volition bespeak to patiently together with studiously educate pregnant economical together with political footholds inwards neighboring Transitional Islamic State of Afghanistan together with Kyrgyz Republic that tin hold upward translated into critical leverage capable of making the desired impact. Otherwise, Uzbekistan’s efforts inwards these 2 directions volition hold upward saddled alongside double failures inwards the foreseeable future.
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