APROPOS the news ‘US, five other nations want to link Central Asia & South Asia’ July 13. It was reported that the US would like Islamabad to back the American efforts to connect South Asia with Central Asia.

Therefore, to promote its plans for the two regions, Washington has created a group called C5+1, which includes the US and the five Central Asian republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Back in May 2020, at the inaugural trilateral forum comprising the US, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, projects were reviewed which could bring prosperity to the entire region by linking South Asia and Central Asia.

A joint statement released after their meeting, underscored the need for building railway links between Central Asia and Pakistan and a gas pipeline that goes all the way to India via Pakistan.

If the project sees light of day goods, services, entrepreneurship skills, and intellectual power would be able to operate freely right from the northern most point of Kazakhstan to South Asia, just like it happens in Europe. This would, perhaps, not occur straight away but, most probably, could happen within the next 20 to 25 years if the member-states are able to gradually establish the multi-billion dollar commercial transportation, railways, pipelines and communication linkages, all based on international standards.

A.R.S.

Lahore

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2020