A land bridge between Europe and Asia ECO’s railway transport network is presently 55,000 km long, (1)Turkey-Iran-Pakistan Train Network is a part of their Trilateral Connectivity Networks covering connectivity through rail, road, air and optic fibre. The journey (6566 km) from Islamabad to Istanbul via Tehran takes 14-16 days, as compared to 40-45 days from Karachi to a Turkish sea port. An agreement has been reached to cut the journey time from 15 to 10 days through swift trains (2) Turkey-Iran-Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan train network will serve to bring together the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, Asian countries, China, Russia, Turkey and Europe, shortening the previous route that ran from Kazakhstan along the Turkmen-Uzbek border and to Iran by 600 kms, making the journey two days shorter (3) 80% progress has already been achieved in Qazvin-Rasht Segment (164 km) of Azerbaijan-Iran which means 60% progress in the whole Qazvin-Rasht-Astara route (4) Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran railway link is strategically situated for parties involved as it connects Central Asia to the Persian Gulf, via Iran, to be connected to the railway network for the access to ports. The railway will facilitate the access of European countries (direct route) the Persian Gulf ports.
Three times shorter than the Suez Canal route the several Eurasia Corridors will play an important role in creating new commercial and social environments in the region near the Caspian Sea and north territories from Bereket to the border with Kazakhstan. Establishing road corridors serving as trade enhancement projects for the region creates a solid foundation of economic complementarities. With the biggest reserve of oil, natural gas and mineral resources and its unique geo-strategic position of being the shortest trade and transit route to Europe and Africa, this region is ideal for developing transport and communication facilities. The abundance of rich energy resources makes ECO potentially an engine of world economic growth.
Recognizing this new reality WEF invited Pakistan, the eastern anchor of the ECO grouping, to join the Eurasia Group, “a community that drives a pan-regional and cross-industry dialogue, with the objective of helping navigate Eurasia’s economic development and recovery in an era of crisis-induced uncertainty. The Group interacts regularly in order to define key growth opportunities for the region and develop new perspectives and recommendations to drive Eurasia’s digital transformation, enhance competitiveness and bolster resilience.” Pakistan will take part in the next (virtual) meeting of the group in December. This is a quantum leap for Pakistan’s geo-political and economic options. Pakistan has been in a bit of an identity crisis with its major attachment with the US about vanishing, what was overdue was the improved relations with our immediate neighbour Iran and the fast-developing positive relations with a strong and self-assure Turkey having developed recently.
Under the PTI government Pakistan has started on an -admittedly long- path of reform and reorganisation not only of our economy but of our institutional set-up. That has become necessary in view of the deplorable state of our administration, bureaucracy, educational system and others. First steps for improvement have been taken but will need much more time. The Corona pandemic that has hit our – as well as everybody else’s – economy hard has been handled so far quite successfully especially in the face of our weak healthcare system. While talking to CNN’s Fareed Zakaria recently former US Treasury Secretary, former President Harvard University and renowned economist Lawrence Summers has expressed his opinion that had America handled the coronavirus pandemic as well as Pakistan, it could have saved in trillions of dollars. Thus, despite of all problems that are chasing us, there is some success as well and there is light at the end of the tunnel.
However much in its initial stage, Pakistan now needs to make itself more aware of Eurasia and communicate this to our people. A good example in this regard is Turkey which has been successfully handling its economy based on its new analysis of what the national interest of the country would be in future. Similarly making our choices freely and confidently, Pakistan’s being represented in the Eurasia Group is a step in this very direction (the writer is a defence and security analyst).
Concluded
