On the sidelines of the 3rd UN Doha Conference, four-party negotiations were held with the participation of the Taliban, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and Qatar. All participating countries expressed interest in the early implementation of the project to launch the Trans-Afghan railway through Afghanistan.
According to Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid, they will ensure transit through Afghanistan, as Kabul prioritizes economic development.
"The Afghan government is interested in participating in international projects. The Taliban are closely cooperating with Uzbekistan and Pakistan within the framework of the Trans-Afghan highway project," said Mujahid.
In Tashkent, a Logistics Forum was held, during which the creation of favorable conditions for bilateral and transit freight transportation through the multimodal transport corridor "Uzbekistan – Afghanistan – Pakistan" was discussed with the participation of Russian Railways Deputy Head Alexei Pavlov, including the joint removal of existing barriers and strengthening strategic cooperation.
The Trans-Afghan railway is planned to be built by the end of 2027. The implementation of this project will provide Central Asian countries with access to freight transportation via the Indian Ocean.
Earlier, it became known that Kazakhstan plans to participate in the construction of railways in Afghanistan. This agreement was reached during negotiations between the Deputy Prime Ministers of the two countries, Serik Zhumangarin and Abdul Ghani Baradar.
In particular, they want to focus on the construction of the "Termez – Mazar-i-Sharif – Kabul – Peshawar" and "Herat – Kandahar – Spin Boldak" railways.
As part of this conference, the Taliban demanded the immediate lifting of all sanctions on Afghanistan.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
July 3, 2024