Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, visited the Baku International Sea Port in Azerbaijan and called on Azerbaijani officials to facilitate the export of Afghan goods through this route, the deputy PM’s office said in a statement on Saturday.

The statement added that the visit was conducted in the presence of officials from the Baku International Sea Port and the railway line.

During the visit, Azerbaijani officials announced that they are ready to export Afghanistan’s industrial goods, agricultural products, and minerals to Turkey and Europe via this port, which is located along the Lapis Lazuli Corridor.

Azerbaijani officials also conveyed their willingness to facilitate the transport of Afghan commercial goods to Russia through Iran by rail.

According to the statement, both sides agreed to establish joint technical committees to assess the available facilities and transport routes, with the aim of enhancing bilateral trade and transit through the port and facilitating Afghanistan’s exports.

Currently, the Baku International Sea Port has an annual capacity of 15 million tons of cargo, which is expected to increase to 25 million tons in the future.