Muttaqi, Muradov talk rail, TAPI pipeline projects

KABUL (Pajhwok): Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi and his Turkmen counterpart have discussed various topics, including the launch of practical work on a mega gas pipeline project in Afghanistan.

Muttaqi and the delegation accompanying him met Turkmenistan Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rashid Muradov, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said in a statement.

The meeting, co-chaired by the foreign ministers, focused on bilateral relations and upgrading Afghanistan’s diplomatic presence in Ashgabat.

The two sides also discussed the start of practical work on the TAPI project and enhancing the supply of electricity from Turkmenistan to Herat.

Revival of the lapis lazuli corridor, expansion of the railroads and Turkmenistan’s investment in Afghanistan also came up for discussion, the ministry said.

In order to enhance bilateral trade and commodity transfers, he suggested the visa issuance process should be facilitated for Afghan businesspeople and transporters.

Muttaqi appreciated Turkmenistan for providing training to Afghan railway personnel and hoped more scholarships for Afghan students would be provided in the future.

He also highlighted Afghanistan’s preparations for initiating work on the TAPI project. He hoped the two countries would jointly begin work on the project in the near future.

“One of the main pillars of the Islamic Emirate’s foreign policy is economy, which focuses on regional connectivity. The construction of highways and railway lines in Afghanistan is our priority,” said Muttaqi.

He asked Turkmenistan to invest in the expansion of the Torghandi-Herat and Andkhoi-Shiberghan railroads to Mazar-i-Sharif.

For his part, Muradov said boosting trade links with Afghanistan was their strategic priority and both sides would work to facilitate people-to-people contact.

He pledged to provide more scholarships for Afghan students in electricity, railway and transport sectors.

Ashgabat had done a lot to complete work on TAPI gas pipeline, he claimed, calling it a project of strategic importance for Turkmenistan

Teams were working to increase the capacity of the Noorul Jihad substation in Herat to step up power supply to adjacent areas, he explained.

The Turkmen foreign minister said the plan to increase the capacity of the railway station in Torghandi had been finalised and technical teams would start work on it soon.

kk/mud