Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and the UAE have agreed to jointly work out the railway route Kazakhstan — Uzbekistan — Afghanistan — Pakistan (CASA) with access to Pakistan's seaports. The relevant memorandum was signed by the relevant ministries of the three countries, the press service of the Kazakh government reported. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
Parties to the agreement
The parties to the agreement were the ministries of transport of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, as well as the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure of the UAE.
Essence of the project
The project envisages the creation of a new railway direction between Central and South Asia. It is intended to expand the opportunities for international transportation, trade, logistics and investment cooperation.
Plans under the memorandum
Within the framework of the memorandum, the parties intend to conduct technical and economic studies, prepare analytical assessments and study the feasibility of developing the necessary railway infrastructure and related facilities.
Capabilities of the parties
The government noted that Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have developed railway infrastructure and significant transit potential. The UAE, in turn, has international experience in transport infrastructure, logistics and the implementation of large investment projects. The parties intend to use these capabilities for the practical elaboration of CASA and the determination of mechanisms for its implementation.
Next steps
The participants also discussed further steps and areas of joint work. In particular, the creation of a working group is being considered for a comprehensive elaboration of the technical, economic and financial issues of the project.
Earlier
Earlier, Kursiv wrote that in June 2026, Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin, at negotiations in Kabul, supported the development of the CASA corridor. It can ensure the transportation of up to 10 million tons of cargo in the direction of the Pakistani ports of Karachi and Gwadar.