DUSHANBE, March 23, 2012, Asia-Plus – On the sidelines of the International Navrouz Celebrations, a trilateral meeting of the presidents of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan took place in the Turkmen capital Ashgabat on March 20, Turkmen media sources report.
Emomali Rahmon (Tajikistan), Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov (Turkmenistan) and Hamid Karzai (Afghanistan) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for construction a rail link connecting the three countries.
According to Turkmen media outlet, the 400-kilometer railroad is to connect the Afghan town of Akina-Andkhoy to Atamurat-Ymamnazar in Turkmenistan and Panj in Tajikistan.
Construction is reportedly planned to begin in July in Turkmenistan. Turkmen workers are also to build the Afghan section of the railway.
The construction work is scheduled to be finished by 2015.
Radio Liberty reports that the Afghan president”s office quoted Karzai as telling a press conference after the signing that the railway link will play an important role in strengthening the economies of the countries and peoples in the region.
China, Iran and Kyrgyzstan are expected to join this ambitious project.
We will recall that a 75-kilometer line from Afghanistan into Uzbekistan began operating in late 2011.
