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The '''Ashgabat agreement''' is a [[multimodal transport]] agreement between the governments of [[Kazakhstan]], [[Uzbekistan]], [[Turkmenistan]], [[Iran]], [[India]], [[Pakistan]], and [[Oman]] for creating an [[Transport corridor|international transport and transit corridor]] facilitating transportation of goods between [[Central Asia]] and the [[Persian Gulf]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://indianexpress.com/article/world/world-news/pakistan-joins-ashgabat-agreement-lapis-lazuli-corridor-4396500/ | title=Pakistan joins Ashgabat Agreement, Lapis Lazuli Corridor | date=26 November 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.dawn.com/news/1233450/land-routes-finalised-to-boost-trade-with-central-asia| title = Land routes finalised to boost trade with Central Asia - Newspaper - DAWN.COM| date = 17 January 2016}}</ref> The agreement came into force in April 2016. [[Ashgabat]] in [[Turkmenistan]] is the depository state for the agreement.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.dawn.com/news/1298791/pakistan-joins-ashgabat-agreement-lapis-lazuli-corridor| title = Pakistan joins Ashgabat Agreement, Lapis Lazuli Corridor - Pakistan - DAWN.COM| date = 26 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/1245003/pm-nawaz-ghani-discuss-regional-issues-ashgabat/ | title=Pakistan to join Ashgabat Agreement, Lapis Lazuli Corridor | date=26 November 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://dunyanews.tv/en/Pakistan/362727-Pakistan-announces-to-join-Ashgabat-Agreement-Lap | title=Pakistan announces to join Ashgabat Agreement, Lapis Lazuli Corridor - Pakistan - Dunya News }}</ref>

The agreement was originally signed by [[Iran]], [[Oman]], [[Qatar]], [[Turkmenistan]] and [[Uzbekistan]] on April 25, 2011. [[Qatar]] subsequently withdrew from the agreement in 2013, the same year [[Kazakhstan]] applied for membership, which was eventually approved in 2015.<ref>http://www.ayu.edu.tr/static/aae_haftalik/aae_bulten_en_14.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://en.egemen.kz/article/kazakhstan-joins-the-ashgabat-agreement | title=Kazakhstan joins the Ashgabat agreement }}</ref> [[Pakistan]] has also joined the Agreement from November 2016.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pakistan joins Ashgabat Agreement, Lapis Lazuli Corridor |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/world/world-news/pakistan-joins-ashgabat-agreement-lapis-lazuli-corridor-4396500/ |accessdate=21 December 2018 |work=The Indian Express |date=26 November 2016 |language=en-IN}}</ref><ref>{cite news| url =https://www.azernews.az/region/126504.html} {{Dead link|date=June 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> [[India]] formally joined in February 2018.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-joins-ashgabat-agreement-5048314/|title=India joins Ashgabat agreement|date=2018-02-02|work=The Indian Express|access-date=2018-02-14|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Objective==
The objective of this agreement is to enhance connectivity within [[Eurasia|Eurasian region]] and synchronize it with other transport corridors within that region including the International [[North–South Transport Corridor]] (INSTC).

==Indian plans==
The Indian government in March 2016 requested approval for acceding to the agreement. It received consent from the agreement's founding members before getting a formal entry on 3 February 2018<ref>[http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Hans-Classroom/2016-03-24/Ashgabat-Agreement/215932 The Hans India - India accedes to Ashgabat agreement]</ref>

==Connectivity==

===North–South Transport Corridor===
For enhanced connectivity, the Ashgabat Agreement will also synchronize with the International [[North–South Transport Corridor]] encompassing [[ship transport|ship]], [[railways|rail]] including [[Trans-Caspian railway]], and [[road transport|road]] route for moving freight between [[India]], [[Russia]], [[Iran]], [[Europe]] and [[Central Asia]]. The route primarily involves moving [[freight]] from [[India]], [[Iran]], [[Azerbaijan]] and [[Russia]] via ship, rail and road.<ref name="The Hindu">{{cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/despite-us-opposition-iran-to-be-transport-hub-for-northsouth-corridor/article3473943.ece |title=Despite U.S. opposition, Iran to be transport hub for North-South Corridor |work=The Hindu |date=31 May 2015 |accessdate=11 April 2015}}</ref>

===Eurasian Railway Connectivity===
This agreement will also leverage the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan (TAT) rail line from 2013, Afghanistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey transportation corridor in 2014, Iran-Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan railroad and TRACECA (Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia) comprising the EU and 14 Eastern European, South Caucasus and Central Asian states.

===Chabahar-Afghanistan===
The [[Chabahar Port]] in Iran has since 2017 created a trade link from India to [[Afghanistan]], without having to cross through Pakistani territory.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://idsa.in/idsacomments/significance-of-india-joining-the-ashgabat-agreement_p-stobdan-120218 | title=Significance of India joining the Ashgabat Agreement | Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses }}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/uzbekistan-seeks-to-be-indias-all-weather-ally-in-central-asia/articleshow/63472248.cms | title=Uzbekistan seeks to be India's all-weather ally in Central Asia | newspaper=The Economic Times | last1=Chaudhury | first1=Dipanjan Roy }}</ref> The agreement between the three countries was first signed in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-takes-over-chabahar-port-operations-from-iran-will-ship-supplies-to-afghanistan/story-kWKZeStt1MfQR4s5Voz4fL.html|title = India takes over operations of Iran's strategic Chabahar Port, can bypass Pak on way to Afghanistan|date = 24 December 2018}}</ref>

Earlier in 2011, India was finalising a proposal to construct a 900-km railway line that will connect Chabahar port in Iran to the mineral-rich [[Hajigak]] region of Afghanistan.<ref name="hindustantimes.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/India-s-Track-3-Afghan-Iran-rail-link/Article1-763448.aspx |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2011-11-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111102133316/http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/newdelhi/india-s-track-3-afghan-iran-rail-link/article1-763448.aspx |archivedate=2011-11-02 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thefrontierpost.com/?p=75158 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2016-04-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304093330/http://www.thefrontierpost.com/?p=75158 |archive-date=2016-03-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It is yet to be implemented.

==See also==
{{div col}}
* [[Gwadar Port]]
* [[China-Pakistan Economic Corridor]]
* [[Port of Chabahar]]
* [[Lapis Lazuli corridor]]
* [http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/fears-mount-for-future-of-indias-afghan-silk-route-plans/#sthash.2Un3zAIc.dpuf Chabahar-Zaranj-Delaram-Hajigak railway: Indian-Iranian project, would link future Indian iron-ore mining operations at Hajigak to Chabahar, 900 kilometres away]
* [[Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India Pipeline]]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160513164133/http://afra.gov.af/Content/images/Afghanistan%20National%20Railway%20Network%20Plan.jpg Afghanistan rail network]
* [[Rail transport in Afghanistan]]
* [[Rail transport in Kazakhstan]]
* [[Rail transport in India]]
* [[Rail transport in Iran]]
* [[Rail transport in Oman]]
* [[Rail transport in Pakistan]]
* [[Rail transport in Tajikistan]]
* [[Rail transport in Turkmenistan]]
* [[Rail transport in Uzbekistan]]
{{col div end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

[[Category:Foreign trade of India]]
[[Category:Treaties of India]]
[[Category:Treaties of Oman]]
[[Category:Treaties of Iran]]
[[Category:Treaties of Turkmenistan]]
[[Category:Treaties of Uzbekistan]]
[[Category:Treaties of Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Treaties of Pakistan]]
[[Category:Foreign trade of Pakistan]]

Ashgabat Agreement - Revision history

UpdateBot at 13:43, 12 May 2022