TASHKENT, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank has expressed its readiness to provide practical support for the implementation of the landmark Mazar-i-Sharif-Kabul-Peshawar railway project, Uzbek government said Tuesday.
The World Bank will also attract other international financial institutions to participate in the strategic project, Uzbek Ministry of Investment and Foreign Trade said following the talks with the World Bank delegation headed by Anna Bjerde, the bank's vice president for Europe and Central Asia.
"Also, the World Bank will provide funding for field research and provide technical assistance for the development of design estimates," the ministry said.
Earlier this year, Uzbekistan, Pakistan and Afghanistan signed a roadmap for the construction of a rail link following trilateral talks in Tashkent.
The 600-km railway will open Pakistani seaports to the Central Asian and Eurasian railway systems, significantly increasing cargo flows and reviving the region's historical role as a bridge linking Europe and Asia, according to Uzbek officials.
Observers said that a number of international financial institutions have also expressed interest in financing the project, including the European Investment Bank, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the United States International Development Finance Corporation. Enditem
