Business
Afghanistan working on plans to expand ties through railway network
Afghanistan Railway Authority (ARA), said Friday they are working to expand economic ties with neighboring countries through railway projects.
The director general of the Afghan Railways, Bakht-u-Rehman Sharafat, says they are working on plans to develop the railway system in Afghanistan and to use this form of transport for exports.
He said that Russia and Kazakhstan have also shown interest in the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway project, and some Central Asian countries have also asked to join the Afghanistan-Iran railway project.
“We intend to designate the port of Aqina for the import of petroleum products and Andkhoy port for dry products; we have also started working on all the ports to solve problems,” said Sharafat.
Private sector members say the railway projects play a key role in the country’s mining sector and the export of dried and fresh fruits. They have inturn called on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to continue its efforts to expand this sector.
“Railway is one of the most important means of transportation in the country and in this way we are able to deliver our exports to different markets of the world in a timely manner,” said Abdul Jabar Safi, the head of the Industrialists Association.
Economists say that if Afghanistan’s railways are connected to neighboring countries, the country will soon be able to enter world markets by exporting saffron, minerals, carpets and other goods.
This comes after Uzbekistan started building a $5 billion railway across Afghanistan to link up with Pakistan’s seaports, Pakistani website News International reported last month.
The project is being driven by Uzbekistan, and was launched after a meeting in Uzbek capital Tashkent in February, in which officials agreed on a roadmap for the 600km line connecting the Uzbek and Pakistan networks via Mazar-e-Sharif and Kabul.
“This trans-Afghan project is the most economical and shortest route connecting Central Asia with the Pakistani ports of Karachi, Gwadar and Qasim,” said Pakistani minister of state and chair of the country’s Board of Investment (BOI), Muhammad Azfar Ahsan after the meeting.
“The Termez-Kabul-Peshawar project could be a game changer for the region’s future,” he said.
Nooruddin Azizi, Acting Minister of Commerce and Industry, met with representatives from the ministries of foreign affairs, defense and interior of Malaysia, along with other senior officials, on Wednesday and called on Malaysians to invest in Afghanistan.
The visiting delegation is being led by senior diplomat Dr. Shazelina Zainul Abidin.
According to the IEA’s foreign ministry, the two sides discussed bilateral trade, holding a business communication conference to strengthen trade relations between the two countries, the trade balance between Afghanistan and Malaysia, and creating a market for Afghan products, including carpets, cotton, and minerals.
According to the ministry, at the end of the meeting, the Acting Minister emphasized the increase of investment from regional countries in Afghanistan and called on Malaysian investors to also invest in Afghanistan.
The Ministry of Interior says that Afghanistan has started exporting goods to Turkey via the Herat-Khaf railway line.
In a post on X, the ministry said: “Afghanistan’s exports to Turkey started in a calm atmosphere through the Herat-Khaf railway line.”
The ministry added that one train will run daily for a month and then two trains will run daily.
According to the ministry, the security of Khaf-Herat railway line is provided by the guards of the National Public Protection Agency.
Khaf-Herat railway project not only connects Iran and Afghanistan by rail, but also completes a 2,000-kilometer route along the east-west rail corridor from China, through Uzbekistan, to Afghanistan, to Iran, and on to Turkey and Europe.
As a landlocked country, this railway network will provide a safe route to connect with Europe via Iran’s railway network and Iran’s southern ports.
This railway line is strategic for trade between Iran and Afghanistan and will allow six million tons of goods to be sent between the two countries.
A joint expo between Afghanistan and Kazakhstan will be held in Kabul in the next four days, officials said on Sunday.
Officials of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said that the two-day expo will be held for the purpose of expanding and strengthening trade relations between the two countries.
“This expo will be held as a follow-up of the Kazakh-Afghan international expo, which was held in the city of Astana, Kazakhstan, with the participation of a large delegation of the government and the private sector of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,” Abdulsalam Javad Akhundzadeh, the spokesman of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, said.
“At this expo, domestic products from different sectors of Afghanistan and the Republic of Kazakhstan will be put on display for two days.”
According to officials, 40 large Kazakh companies, and 40 large Afghan companies will exhibit their products.
Mohammad Saber Latifi, head of the Afghanistan International Expo Center, said that fruits, minerals and commercial services will be displayed at the expo.
During the expo, various memorandums of understanding for the trade of goods are also expected to be signed by companies.
Asia must believe Afghanistan’s power in futsal: Mortezaei
Hamas says it received Israel’s response to its ceasefire proposal
Three road construction projects launched in Kabul
Russian defense minister says main threat for SCO countries emanates from Afghanistan
IEA calls Mujahideen Victory Day ‘freedom day’
Dead body of Quran-burner found in Norway
ATN secures rights to produce, broadcast second season of KPL
Yadav hits 156.7 km/h as Lucknow trump Bengaluru in IPL match
Afghanistan’s national futsal team ‘ready for’ group stage of Asian Cup
Afghanistan, Pakistan agree to abandon barter trade, establish banking relationships
Saar: 46th anniversary of 7th Saur coup in Afghanistan discussed
Tahawol: Pakistan’s security concerns from Afghan soil discussed
Saar: Visits by foreign diplomats to Kabul discussed
Tahawol: Calls for handing over Afghanistan’s seat to IEA discussed
Malaysian delegation trip to Kabul discussed
-
Latest News4 days agoRashid Khan named AWCC’s brand ambassador
-
World4 days agoMalaysian navy helicopters collide in mid-air, 10 killed
-
Sport4 days agoJaiswal ton powers Rajasthan to big IPL win
-
World3 days agoNorth Korea officials visit Iran in a rare public trip
-
Latest News4 days agoAt least 1,500 families affected by recent floods: IRW
-
Sport4 days agoMawj Sahil player scores stunning halfway line goal in 1-0 win over Jawanan Wahedi
-
Sport3 days ago‘Serious talent’ Fraser-McGurk bonds with Warner to light up IPL
-
Latest News4 days agoUS report cites ‘significant deterioration’ in Afghan women’s rights last year