WASHINGTON: Pakistan, the United States, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan Friday announced the formation of a new regional platform aimed at bolstering “regional connectivity” ahead of the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan.
“The parties consider long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan critical to regional connectivity and agree that peace and regional connectivity are mutually reinforcing,” the US State Department said in a statement.
“Recognizing the historic opportunity to open flourishing interregional trade routes, the parties intend to cooperate to expand trade, build transit links, and strengthen business-to-business ties”.
Representatives of the four nations are expected to meet in the coming months “to determine the modalities of this cooperation with mutual consensus,” the department added.