Deputy head of the Afghan railway administration department, Abdul Bari Seddiqi, has said Uzbekistan is interested in helping Afghanistan build a railway line between the two countries “in order to have a direct route to Iran”, TOLOnews reported on October 30.
The railway administration noted a new north-west railway link would help increase trade between Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and China. The project is in line with China’s One Belt, One Road initiative which seeks to turn Central Asia into a transit zone with modern infrastructure for Chinese goods export. At the same time, Uzbekistan is strengthening its cooperation with Iran - a recent visit to Iran by Uzbek officials concluded the two countries must aim to greatly expand mutual trade.
“The line would extend from Neyababad in Mazar-e-Sharif to Herat on one side and to Kunduz on the other; Uzbekistan can be connected to the Afghan railway lines via this link,” Seddiqi said.
“The [Afghan President Ashraf Ghani] is expected to travel to Uzbekistan soon, and 16 memorandums of understanding, including a memorandum to start building a railway network will be signed. Transit problems will be resolved, and trade relations will be developed.” Sayam Pasarlay, spokesman for the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said.
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