Turkmenistan to start Afghan-Turkmen railway construction

A delegation of Turkmen officials led by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov recently met with the Afghan president Hamid Karzai in capital Kabul and delivered an invitation to take part in the official ceremony of laying the Turkmen section of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan railway. President Hamid Karzai in return conveyed sincere appreciation to the Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov for Turkmenistan’s continued assistance and support in the socio-economic revival of its neighbor. Karzai quoted by Trend News Agency said, “Afghanistan very much appreciates this fraternal assistance and support.” Afghanistan signed a memorandum of Understanding with Turkmenistan and Tajikistan on the construction of railway line during a summit in Ashgabat in March. Ashgabat and Kabul earlier signed an intergovernmental framework agreement on the construction of the 85-kilometer railway line Atamyrat-Ymamnazar (Turkmenistan) and the 38-kilometer line between Akina and Andhoi (Afghanistan). The Turkmen ministry of railway transport will construct the Atamyrat-Ymamnazar railway in Lebap region. In the meantime officials from Afghanistan and Turkmenistan recently met in Ashgabat to discuss the proposed construction of railway line on Imamnazar-Akina inside the Afghan soil by Turkmenistan.