Pakistan，China and the Central Asian States have shown willingness to start trade among these countries through the Silk Road，for which an agreement is likely to be signed within a short period of time，said Raja Irfan，Ambassador of Pakistan to Karghistan.

As a major step to this agreement，a fifteen-member delegation consisting of different renowned traders，journalists and people from different walks of life，reached Islamabad Saturday late night travelling by road through the Silk Road in his supervision.

The delegation is expected to hold meeting with Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz during their visit to Pakistan. The delegation would inform Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz about the hurdles and difficulties in order to start trade between these countries through the Silk Road.

Talking to reporter，who joined the delegation earlier on October 18 from Sust international border between Pakistan and China，Raja Irfan said，presently，the Central Asian States are trading through Shanghai dry port，which is 6,000 kilometres away from them，while Gwadar dry port is situated at the distance of 2,100 kilometres from these states，which would ensure smooth and fast movement for their goods to Europe and other countries.

He said the cost of transmission of their goods using the Silk route would be reduced to eleven times as compared to the cost of transmission of their goods from Central Asian States to the Shanghai dry port. He said so far，from October 2006 to October 2007 22 trucks of goods including leather and rice from Pakistan to China and the Central Asian States have been sent as a test trade between these countries.

The first spell of trade between these countries through the Silk Road faced a lot of difficulties，but now we are trying to eliminate these hurdles jointly，he added.

Expressing their views，the members of the delegation from the Central Asian States said，they would take full benefit of the opportunities to start trade between Pakistan and their countries through the Silk Road.