Balkh airport terminal inaugurated

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (PAN): A reconstructed terminal at the Maulana Jalaluddin Balkhi International Airport in Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh province, was inaugurated on Sunday.

The inaugural ceremony was attended by German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, Afghanistan’s Transport and Aviation Minister Daud Ali Najafi, Balkh Governor Atta Mohammad Noor and parliamentarians.

Noor said the terminal, a joint venture of Germany and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), cost 60 million euros and took three years to complete. Germany contributed 48 million euros and the UAE 12 million euros to the project that has facilities for 1,000 passengers.

Speaking on the occasion, the German foreign minister said the terminal was a big project that had been completed in Afghanistan. Westerwelle hoped the airport would boost trade in northern Afghanistan, particularly in Mazar-i-Sharif.

Daud Ali Najafi said flights from the airport were operated to Iran, Uzbekistan and Turkey in addition to domestic flights. The airport matched all international standards and had a key role in connecting northern Afghanistan with the rest of the world.

ma/mud

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