Chinese President is expected to sign an agreement for 750 km route that will help Pak reach out to Central Asian countries.
LAHORE: Pakistan and China are expected to sign an agreement to lay down a rail link between the two countries during Chinese President Hu Jintao's upcoming visit to Pakistan late next month.
According to the foreign ministry sources, the Chinese president is expect to visit Pakistan on November 23, and the two countries are all set to sign the agreement during the visit.
The sources said the Planning Division had approved a project to study the feasibility of a 750km rail link from Havilian in Abbottabad district to the China border.
The study will start after the agreement is signed, the sources said and added that discussion on the technicalities of the project would start on November 11, when the Chinese deputy economic minister is due to visit Pakistan, accompanied by a technical team.
The sources said that the Pak-China rail link would be an important route for Pakistan to reach out to the Central Asian countries, and help make Pakistan the trade and energy corridor the government keeps talking about.
The sources said that the two countries would also enhance cooperation in railways construction, locomotives and railways signalling systems. The link will further ties and the two countries have already signed an Agreement on Expanding and Deepening Bilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation in February 2006.
According to the agreement, said the sources, the two friendly countries have set up a Joint Working Group for economic cooperation and formulated a five-year programme to enhance Pakistan-China trade and economic cooperation. The two countries will upgrade the Karakoram Highway in future, the sources said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=spacer}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}