TheQuadrilateral Traffic in Transit Agreement (QTTA) (Urdu:معاہدہِ چار طرفہ ٹریفک گذرگاہ) is a transit trade deal betweenChina,Pakistan,Kyrgyzstan andKazakhstan for facilitating transit traffic andtrade. In February 2017,Tajikistan expressed interest in joining the deal.[1] A similar desire to join the agreement was expressed byUzbekistan in May 2020.[2] The initial work on this road project was initiated in 1995.
The road project is related to theChina Pakistan Economic Corridor, which aims to provide China andCentral Asia access to Pakistani ports. After the development ofGawadar Port inBalochistan province of Pakistan, development of this route became more lucrative particularly forKyrgyzstan andKazakhstan. For Pakistan its importance has recently increased following frequent border closures with Afghanistan over political hostilities and security issues.
The strategical importance of this project was reduced whenAfghanistan offered Pakistan access toCentral Asia via theAfghanistan–Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement. The QTTA provides Pakistan an alternative gateway to Central Asia by completely circumventing Afghanistan. It would use theKarakoram Highway which connectsGilgit-Baltistan to China'sXinjiang region, which links to Central Asia.[1]