ISLAMABAD
\nLeading policymakers, and regional experts convened for an online seminar hosted by the Central Asia Program for Regional Cooperation and Connectivity at the Institute of Regional Studies, Islamabad as part of its Eminent Speaker Series titled \u201cBreaking the Connectivity Barrier to Central Asia: Pakistan and the C5 in 2026.\u201d
\nExperts from Russia and Uzbekistan underscored the urgent need to transform visions into tangible action to advance Eurasian connectivity. While connectivity has long been a strategic aspiration, tangible progress hinges on implementation, coordination, and political will. President of the Institute of Regional Studies, Ambassador Jauhar Saleem inaugurated the session by framing connectivity as a \u201cmultidimensional agenda\u201d central to regional stability and prosperity.
\nHe noted that despite shared ambitions\u2014mirroring similar regional visions on Eurasia as those pursued by T\u00fcrkiye\u2014Pakistan\u2019s connectivity with Central Asia remains below its potential.
\nHe identified several persistent barriers including critical infrastructure gaps, instability in Afghanistan, regulatory and customs fragmentation and logistical bottlenecks as impediments which need to be overcome for rhetorical commitments to translate into practical, implementable solutions for regional integration.
\nPolicy Analyst and Expert of the Valdai Discussion Club and the Gorchakov Fund from Russia, Dr. Daria Saprynskaya highlighted that connectivity, from a Russian perspective, encompasses trade, logistics, investment, and security, all of which are deeply interlinked.
\nShe outlined Russia\u2019s evolving strategic vision centered on the concept of \u201cintegration of integrations,\u201d linking major regional initiatives such as the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) and China\u2019s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to build a flexible and interconnected Eurasian architecture rather than a single unified bloc.
\nConnectivity hence, operates on two inseparable dimensions: economic (infrastructure, trade corridors) and political-institutional (regulatory and multilateral frameworks) with Central Asia serving as a critical bridge, linking Russia with South Asia, the Middle East, and beyond.
\nDr. Saprynskaya also noted that while all projects contribute to regional development, some could reshape geopolitical balances.
\nLeading Research Fellow at the International Institute for Central Asia (IICA) in Tashkent and former Leading Specialist at Uzspace, Mr. Salomov Bakhtiyor Ravshan o\u2019g\u2019li emphasized on how connectivity is not a zero-sum game, but a shared platform for mutual economic gain.
\nHighlighting impressive growth in Uzbekistan\u2013Pakistan trade\u2014from $36 million in 2017 to over $400 million in 2024\u2014he spoke of vast, untapped potential, with bilateral trade projected to reach $2 billion in the coming years.
\nLowering transportation costs through improved infrastructure, ensuring maritime access for landlocked Central Asian states, digitalizing customs and transit systems and addressing persistent security concerns, allows Pakistan to become a strategically vital partner capable of linking Central Asia to global markets.Expert on Asian Affairs at the Institute of China and Contemporary Asia at the Russian Academyof Sciences in Moscow Dr. Liudmila A.
\nPechishcheva underlined the growing diversification of connectivity options for Central Asia, particularly Uzbekistan\u2019s efforts to expand access through both land and maritime routes. She underscored Pakistan\u2019s increasing importance as a regional transit hub, noting that Karachi and Gwadar ports serve as key gateways for Central Asian trade with emerging railroad integration linking Central Asia with Pakistan\u2019s transport network.
\nThe potential from data and energy transit corridors connecting Central Asia to the Middle East and Europe, operationalization of energy pipelines and the expansion of corridor networks further places Pakistan\u2019s at the heart of strategic geographic positioning in a rapidly evolving Eurasian connectivity landscape.
\nThe session concluded with a strong consensus among all experts that Eurasian connectivity is no longer a theoretical ambition but an urgent strategic necessity. While political visions and regional frameworks are in place, the next phase requires execution, coordination, and sustained investments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD Leading policymakers, and regional experts convened for an online seminar hosted by the Central Asia Program for Regional Cooperation and Connectivity at the Institute of Regional Studies, Islamabad as part of its Eminent Speaker Series titled \u201cBreaking the Connectivity Barrier to Central Asia: Pakistan and the C5 in 2026.\u201d Experts from Russia and Uzbekistan […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":552042,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-552028","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-national"],"yoast_head":"\n