MOTOR CARAVAN WITH AFGHAN PRODUCTION TO CROSS TURKMEN PART OF LAZULI ROUTE

Pilot motorcade along Lazuli Route (Afghanistan – Turkmenistan – Azerbaijan – Georgia – Turkey) arrives in Ashgabat according to the Agreement on Transit and Transport Cooperation.

As is known, the motorcade started off Herat on December 13 and arrived in Ashgabat today. The caravan will go to Turkmenbashy International Seaport from where it will be shipped by ferry to the Republic of Azerbaijan and farther to Turkey via Georgia.

The motorcade transports agricultural goods produced by Afghan farmers including cotton, sesame, raisings, watermelon seeds and other. Upon reaching the destination, the goods will find the customers not only in Turkey but also in other countries of Europe, which will be great stimulus for Afghan people and guarantee of entry to international market.

The motorcade that arrived in the capital was received by the Trade Counsellor of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Radai Hotak. He noted in the conversation with the correspondent of TDH that trial shipment along Lazuli Route is an important stage of work on the increment of trade turnover, creation of favourable conditions for export of Afghan production as well as on rapid process of import of Afghan goods.

Representative of diplomatic mission of friendly country expressed the gratitude to President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov for comprehensive support, big input to the expansion of neighbouring relations between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, having highlighted important role of infrastructural projects aimed at the support of social and economic revival of Afghanistan and its involvement to regional partnership.

Afghanistan – Turkmenistan – Azerbaijan- Georgia – Turkey transport corridor is key element for solution of number of economic issues topical for Asia according to the experts. New route, which infrastructure has all required components but requires some modernization and additional legal agreements, would be able to give actual impulse to the development of production in the region.

It will make special effect on the revival of the economy in Afghanistan. Our country supports the implementation of big projects and programmes of friendly state. It includes Turkmenistan – Afghanistan – Pakistan – India gas pipeline, Turkmenistan – Afghanistan – Pakistan power and fibre optic lines and other projects. At the same time, these are transport projects that are able to give powerful impact to the development of the economy of Afghanistan and entire region.

The construction of modern transport infrastructure and comprehensive operation of Lazuli Route would be able to activate the producers, which goods can not find the entry to international market due to the limitation of existing transport and transit routes, Radai Hotak, the Trade Counsellor of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to Turkmenistan thinks.

Lapis Lazuli project will significantly speed up the cargo flows and reduce the distance, which will make it cheaper for foreign consumers and will raise the interest of big commercial enterprises in activation of the cooperation with the producers in the region.

In this context, current shipment along Lazuli Route is special event and indication that modern Turkmenistan became logistic centre of transport and transit corridors.

Serhetabat – Turgundy railroad, which is the part of Lapis Lazuli project, has been built and put into operation by Turkmenistan for the implementation of colossal potential of our country in transit and transport sphere and support of fraternal Afghan people in February 2018.

Railways and roads available in our state already forms considerable part of Lazuli route and inclusion of Turgundy has been aimed at the improvement of economic integration of Afghanistan and growth of trade volumes in the region.

Therefore, Serhetabat - Turgundy railway allowed making additional prepositions for the development of the economy of friendly country and gave the opportunity for activation of small and medium business, entry of Afghan goods to the markets of neighbouring states.

Efficient measures taken by our state for the restoration of the Silk Road in the context of rapid formation of modern transport and transit infrastructure gave strong impulse not only to national economy but also to positive trends of development in the region.