Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 18 September 2024, Pakistan officially joined the "Memorandum of Understanding on the Creation and Development of the International Transport Corridor ‘Belarus – Russia – Kazakhstan – Uzbekistan – Afghanistan – Pakistan – Ports of the Indian Ocean’ (ITC)." This was reported by the press service of Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Transport.

The signing of the memorandum by the Minister of Communications of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan emphasized the project’s significance for enhancing trade and economic ties, as well as cargo transportation in the region.

The process of creating and developing the ITC was initiated in August 2022 during the third meeting of the Joint Working Group on Cooperation between the Government of Uzbekistan and the Eurasian Economic Commission. At that meeting, Russia and Belarus expressed particular interest in the project.

It should be recalled that in November 2023, a "Memorandum of Understanding" was signed between the Ministers of Transport of Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan, marking the start of active work on the project.

The first meeting of the working group on the development of the multimodal transport corridor took place in April 2024 in Termez. During this meeting, the Ministry of Transport of Belarus joined the memorandum, while Afghanistan and Pakistan announced they were completing the necessary domestic procedures for their participation in the project.

Additionally, a roadmap was signed, which includes plans for cargo transportation development, cargo flow analysis, the implementation of electronic digital documents, and the optimization of customs procedures.

Pakistan’s inclusion in the project marks an important step in strengthening regional trade links and accelerating international cargo transportation through the ITC. The corridor is expected to become a key element of Eurasia’s transport system, providing convenient and efficient routes for goods transit and promoting enhanced economic cooperation among the participating countries.