Officials from the Ministry of Public Works (MoPW) have held talks with a technical team representing a number of Ukrainian companies about establishing railways in Afghanistan.
Although the ministry has not specifically said in which parts of the country the railways will be built, it said that a technical team of Ukrainian companies has come to Kabul and met with the ministry’s officials, having shown an interest in building railways in the country.
“The Ukrainian delegation had a meeting with the ministry’s leadership team. They discussed the transit of goods, enhancing the capacities of railways’ engineers, the security of the Mazar-Hairatan railway, and building railways,” Hamidullah Misbah, the spokesman of the ministry said.
Meanwhile, a number of economic analysts said connecting Afghanistan to other countries through railways will result in an increase of transit and trade.
“We should have railways in most of our provinces. Most of our borders (ports) should be connected through railways with the neighboring countries and from there with the world,” said Khairuddin Mayel, deputy head of Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI).
According to the ACCI, by the extension of railways in the country, Afghanistan’s exports will increase and goods’ exports will become easy and quick.
“The extension of the railway is in the interest of the people of Afghanistan. We want our railway to extend. After sea shipping, railway is the cheapest and quickest means of transportation,” said Mohammad Yunus Momand, ACCI acting director.
Currently, Afghanistan is connected to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan through the Hairatan-Aqina railway in the north, and to Iran through the Khawaf-Herat railway in the west.
According to officials, efforts are underway to connect Afghanistan to South Asia via railway.
He also mentioned that the construction phase of the project has been completed in Aqina port. This is another significant project jointly undertaken by Afghanistan and Turkmenistan which upon completion can provide 2500 megabytes of internet to our compatriots in Herat and its surrounding provinces.
“We are prepared to inaugurate TAPI and TAP projects in August 2021 inside the Afghan territory and God willing, it will take place,” he said. “We also want the 8th Summit of the Commission on Economic Cooperation between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to be held in 2021, for which we have already shared the summit protocol with the Turkmenistan side,” he said.
