Ashgabat has set a target on significantly expanding trade with Afghanistan, aiming to reach US $1 billion of trade turnover, according to the Afghanistan Foreign Ministry. The statement came during a two-day visit by Turkmenistan Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov to the Afghanistan province of Herat.
Meredov met with Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and other high-ranking officials. Meredov pointed out the need for a comprehensive roadmap for trade development. Additionally, the Turkmen side announced plans to host an exhibition of Afghan goods in Ashgabat.
Energy cooperation took center stage as well. Meredov expressed readiness to start work on the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline project in Afghanistan in the near future.
On the Afghan side, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Minister of Mine and Petroleum Shahabuddin Delawar, Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi, Head of the railway Department Bakht ur-Rahman Sharaf, Deputy Minister of Transport and Aviation Abdul Salam Haidari and Governor of Herat Nur Ahmed Islamjar attended the talks.
Welcoming his Turkmen counterpart and the delegation, the Afghan Foreign Minister said that after the end of war in Afghanistan and the formation of a new government, it was possible to implement a major TAPI gas pipeline project after decades of delays.
Muttaqi expressed full confidence in the preparation from the Afghan side and added that the relevant departments have completed the work to begin the practical implementation of the project.
Speaking about the transport connectivity between the two countries, the Afghan Foreign Minister stressed the growth of bilateral trade and transit between the two countries and expressed hope that the transshipment of goods through the port of Torghundi will become round-the-clock.
At the end of the talks, Muttaqi informed his Turkmen counterpart that he would continue to discuss and work on shared issues between the two countries at different levels and in various fields so that the opportunities created for both countries can be used to the maximum. ///nCa, 17 December 2023