Tajikistan Afghanistan Railway Connection Agreement Signed

The governments of Tajikistan and Afghanistan signed an agreement on the construction of the Celoleddin Balhi (Kolhozobod) -Cayhun-Nizhny Pyanc- Şerhan Bandar (Afghanistan) railway line in Dushanbe.

The agreement was signed by Tajikistan Transport Minister Hudoyor Hudoyorzade and the President of the Afghan Railways Administration Muhammad Yamo Shams.

The drafting of the agreement began in July last year, in accordance with the agreement reached by the parties reached at the Tajik-Afghan intergovernmental trade, economic and technical co-operation committee meeting. The Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan draws attention to the strategic importance of the agreement, which is the basis for the implementation of the Turkmenistan Afghanistan-Tajikistan railway project.

The agreement will also contribute to the implementation of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan Afghanistan-Iran railway project in the hope of access to the ports of Bandar Abbas, Chirbahor and Gavdarav.

Meetings were held with representatives of the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to finance the feasibility study of this railway project.