Lapis Lazuli corridor member-countries to discuss project’s technical issues
The technical committees from the five countries-members of the Lapis Lazuli Corridor will meet soon, informed Afghanistan’s with reference to the country’s ministry of commerce and industries.
The task teams of Afghanistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Georgia will meet together to discuss the tasks each country facing in realization of this project, says the ministry.
“The technical committees can work on these issues (technical issues) to implement this agreement and connect Afghanistan to Europe in the closest way,” commented ministry’s spokesman Musafir Quqandi.
According to Tawfiqullah Dawari, deputy head of Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Afghanistan confronts such issues as roads, security and electricity, requiring solution for the implementation of Lapis Lazuli project.
The Agreement on the transit transport corridor Lapis Lazuli was signed by five countries on the sidelines of the 7th Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan (RECCA) hosted by Ashgabat in November last year.
There two starting points of Lapis Lazuli route in Afghanistan. One of them is northern Aqina, Faryab province, which connected with Turkmenistan’s by Kerki-Ymamnazar-Aqina railway. And another is Torghondi in western Herat province, which linked with Turkmen Serhetbad. The modernized Torghondi-Serhetabd railroad was solemnly inaugurated last week.
Crossing via the Caspian Sea, Lapis Lazuli Corridor will be connected to Azerbaijani capital Baku, then to Tbilisi and Georgian Black Sea ports of Batumi and Poti and Kars in Eastern Turkey.
Economic expert community believes that the corridor will stimulate the growth of Afghanistan’s economy and will increase the export of Afghan goods to Europe.
