A trilateral meeting was held in Kabul on 26 April 2024 with the participation of delegations from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Afghanistan reports.
The delegations were headed by:
- Afghanistan – Minister of Industry and Commerce Nuruddin Azizi
- Turkmenistan – Director of the Agency for Transport and Communications under the Cabinet of Ministers Mammekthan Chakiyev
- Kazakhstan – Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Serik Zhumangarin
Issues of transport connectivity between North Asia and South Asia were discussed at the trilateral meeting.
The agenda of the meeting included issues of reducing transit and transport costs on the territory of the three countries.
Following the discussions, the sides agreed on the establishment of a joint technical committee to continue negotiations.
The official website of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan informs about this meeting as follows:
Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan have agreed to jointly develop transit and transport infrastructure in Afghanistan. Favorable and competitive tariff conditions will be created for this purpose, which will ensure the accelerated passage of container trains from China through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan to Afghanistan and further to Pakistan, India and the countries of the Middle East.
Preliminary estimates suggest a significant reduction in delivery times. Goods traveling from Xi’an/Urumqi in China to Turgundi and Andhoy in Afghanistan could reach their destinations in just 10-12 days via the accelerated route.
This was agreed at a trilateral meeting in Kabul by Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Serik Zhumangarin, Director General of the Agency for Transport and Communications under the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan Mammetkhan Chakiyev and Minister of Industry and Commerce of Afghanistan Nuriddin Azizi.
A day earlier, the Kazakh delegation discussed these issues at a meeting with the Minister of Civil Aviation and Transport of Afghanistan, Hamidullah Akhundzada.
The use of the new transit route will allow Afghanistan to ensure the uninterrupted supply of Chinese goods to the west of the country and significantly reduce the cost of delivering goods compared to other modes of transport.
Afghan businesses can leverage the Kazakhstan’s terminal in Xi’an’s Dry Port to consolidate high-demand items into container trains, optimizing transportation efficiency. Essential items like solar panels, generators, mobile phones, and office equipment can be shipped directly from China to Afghanistan, reducing wait times and potentially lowering costs.
“We welcome the plans of the Afghan Government to develop transport infrastructure, build new railways and purchase rolling stock. As a result of the agreements reached, our specialists will begin all necessary calculations and reorientation of traffic flows. A lot of work remains to be done not only in the field of logistics, but also in the development of the necessary infrastructure. Turkmenistan has a large railway modernization program ahead of it. All this together will help to develop the Turkmen infrastructure and our infrastructure at Beineu – Aktau – Bolashak,” Serik Zhumangarin said.
The eastern branch of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is experiencing a surge in activity. This route, connecting Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, India, and the Middle East, is poised to become a critical artery for cargo movement.
In the light of new prospects, the countries are ready to discuss competitive tariff conditions. Following the talks, the sides agreed to create a working group to implement the agreements reached.