Photo: primeminister.kz
Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan have agreed to jointly develop transit and transport infrastructure in Afghanistan, reports DKNews.kz.
For this purpose, favorable and competitive tariff conditions will be created, which will allow to provide accelerated passage of container trains from China through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to Afghanistan and further to Pakistan, India and Middle East countries.
According to preliminary calculations, the term of delivery of goods along the accelerated route from Xi’an/Urumqi (PRC) to Afghanistan (Turgundi and Andkhoy) will be reduced to 10-12 days. This was agreed at a trilateral meeting in Kabul by Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Serik Zhumangarin, Director General of the Agency of Transport and Communications under the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan Mammetkhan Chakyev and Minister of Trade and Industry of Afghanistan Nuriddin Azizi. A day earlier, the Kazakh delegation discussed these issues at a meeting with Afghan Minister of Civil Aviation and Transport Hamidullah Akhundzada..
The use of a new transit route will allow Afghanistan to ensure uninterrupted delivery of Chinese goods to the west of the country and significantly reduce the cost of goods delivery compared to other modes of transportation. Afghan business was offered to use the capabilities of Kazakhstan’s terminal in the Dry Port of Xi’an to consolidate the most demanded goods into container trains and direct delivery of consumer goods: solar panels, diesel generators, cell phones, office equipment and others.
“We welcome the Afghan government’s plans to develop transportation infrastructure, build new railroads and acquire rolling stock. As a result of the agreements reached, our specialists will proceed with all necessary calculations and reorientation of transportation flows. Much work is to be done not only in the field of logistics, but also in the development of the necessary infrastructure. Turkmenistan has a large program of modernization of railroads ahead. All this together will help develop the Turkmen infrastructure at Beineu – Aktau – Bolashak”, – Serik Zhumangarin said.
It was noted that the eastern branch of the international transport corridor North-South received a new impetus for development. It is becoming a key route for cargo transportation from Russia, Belarus through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, India and Middle East countries. In light of the new prospects, the countries are ready to discuss competitive tariff terms. Following the talks, the parties agreed to set up a working group to implement the agreements reached.