KABUL: The spokesman of the Ministry of Public Works, Mohammad Ashraf Haqshenas, said in a statement that a tripartite meeting of railway officials from Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey was held on the sidelines of the 36th regional meeting of the International Union of Railways (UIC) in Turkey.
According to the statement, officials from the three countries signed an agreement stating that the railway networks of the Middle East and the European Union will be connected to East Asia through the Khaf-Herat railway in Afghanistan.
Turkish railway officials also stated that through joint cooperation, they will be able to connect the railways of Turkey and Iran to China via Afghanistan.
The statement noted that the mentioned countries agreed to jointly commence the construction of the Herat-Mazar-i-Sharif railway and utilize financial, technical, and human resources from Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan.
Participants in the tripartite meeting emphasized the importance of increasing rail transfers through the Khaf-Herat railway, adding that the timely completion and operation of this route will be a significant opportunity for enhancing railway cooperation among Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey.
This agreement comes at a time when the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has been striving for over four years to develop the country’s internal railway lines and connect them to regional railway networks.