Central Asian Countries Collaborate to Improve Transport Infrastructure in Afghanistan
Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan Enhance Transit and Transport Infrastructure
In a trilateral meeting on April 27, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin, Director General of the Transport and Communications Agency under Turkmenistan’s Cabinet of Ministers Mammetkhan Chakyev, and Afghan Minister of Commerce and Industry Nooruddin Azizi agreed to enhance transit and transport infrastructure in Afghanistan. The goal is to create favorable and competitive tariff conditions to facilitate the swift passage of container trains from China through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, and onwards to Pakistan, India, and Middle Eastern countries.
Preliminary calculations show that the delivery time for goods via the accelerated route from China’s Xian/Urumqi to Afghanistan’s Turgundi and Andkhoy will be reduced to 10-12 days. This new transit route will enable Afghanistan to ensure an uninterrupted supply of Chinese goods to the west of the country and significantly reduce delivery costs compared to alternative transport modes.
Afghan businesses are encouraged to utilize the capabilities of the Kazakh terminal in the Xian dry port to consolidate popular goods into container trains for direct shipment. This includes items such as solar panels, diesel generators, mobile phones, and office equipment.
Zhumangarin highlighted the importance of recalculating and reorienting traffic flows, emphasizing upcoming infrastructure development initiatives. He noted that these efforts will contribute to the development of Turkmen infrastructure and the Beineu-Aktau-Bolashak corridor.
The parties acknowledged that the eastern branch of the international North-South transport corridor is gaining momentum to become a key route for transporting goods from Russia and Belarus through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, India, and the Middle East. As a result of the negotiations, they agreed to establish a working group to implement the agreements reached.
Overall, this collaboration among Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Afghanistan signals a significant step towards enhancing transit and transport infrastructure in the region, providing new opportunities for trade and economic development.
