India-Uzbekistan rail line gains momentum

A mega railway line of 650-km, crisscrossing India, Afghanistan Iran and Uzbekistan, has gained momentum. President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, said that his country is keen that India joins the railway project as the move will help in stabilizing conditions in landlocked Afghanistan as the line will connect it to Eurasia and Iran. It will also connect Mazar-e-Sharif and Herat cities and will later be extended to Kabul. The major project has been agreed to by President Ashraf Ghani and President Mirziyoyev. The preliminary surveys for the project have already been completed. Uzbekistan supports a greater presence of India in Central Asia that will also help Afghanistan to a great extent with India's proven record and experience of projects in Afghanistan. In fact, Uzbekistan has interest in opening trade and connectivity routes all the way to the Indian Ocean. The project, for which Uzbekistan has already pledged $500 million, could become another major regional connectivity project for India, after its construction of the Zaranj-Delaram Highway in Afghanistan and the Shahid Beheshti port in Chabahar, Iran. India recently decided to open more ports for Chabahar and the issue of connectivity to Chabahar will be among the talking points during the upcoming meet of leaders from both the countries in Tehran.