By Samia Khalid ISLAMABAD, Mar 10 (INP-WealthPK): Gwadar’s new Master Plan will make the seaport a game-changer not just for Pakistan, but for the entire region, allowing landlocked Central Asian countries to access warm seas. Being a major project of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Gwadar Port has drawn international attention, particularly after the updated Master Plan for the project was released in late 2019. In an interview with WealthPK, CPEC official Adnan Khan said two ambassadors from Central Asian countries have already visited Gwadar Port with an interest to establish their offices. “The visiting ambassadors were briefed about the current infrastructure, and they were assured that we can handle their transit trade. The ambassadors said the provincial government should allocate land to them so that they could ensure their presence in the area. Two Central Asian countries have requested the provincial government of Balochistan to allow access to Gwadar Port through roads so that they can establish their offices,” said the official. Gwadar has recently seen a slew of development initiatives that are creating new jobs and businesses and laying a solid infrastructure basis for the future. Gwadar was designated as a special economic zone (SEZ) for a limited time to enable fast commercial and economic growth. However, the duration of this time is yet to be defined. “To promote transit trade with Central Asian Republics, we started follow-up with China Overseas Port Holding Company (COPHC) because it is crucial for Pakistan to tap the potential of transit trade. There was no clarity for investors on this matter. So, to overcome this gap, we started making a comprehensive business marketing plan that outlines how we will attract trans-shipment from the Gulf. First, we formed a policy, and then they became trans-shipment rules. Meanwhile, we also defined their marketing strategies,” said Adnan Khan, adding, “Now, it is documented and is also on the CPEC agenda. After approval, it will move towards operations so that we can tap into all transhipment business either related to oil or goods.” The official said all-Afghan transit trade has already moved towards Gwadar. “We already had a transit trade agreement with Afghanistan. Negotiations are underway by the Ministry of Commerce related to border trade at multiple locations in Iran and Afghanistan to further open border points as well as to extend our transit trade agreement to Central Asian countries. For this, we are trying to reproduce the contents of the Afghan transit trade agreement,” he said. Adnan Khan said Gwadar Port should be in a centralized position so that all cargo could move from the port, but the major limitation that it faces is linked through roads. “Work on all roads is at advanced stages. Although connectivity exists through N-85, it is not big enough for heavy traffic. To solve this problem, we have proposed a plan so that investors can easily establish their businesses,” the official said.