Taliban Seeks Participation of Russia & Kazakhstan In Trans-Afghan Railway Project

The Taliban’s Minister of Commerce and Industry asked Russia and Kazakhstan to participate in the construction of the Trans-Afghan railway project.

Nooruddin Azizi, who is on a visit to Kazakhstan, told TASS news agency on Thursday, that the construction of this railway route is in the interest of every stakeholder.

Azizi also suggested that Pakistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan establish a coordination office in Kabul.

In January, the Taliban, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding on the railway route known as the Trans-Afghan project in Islamabad.

However, no country has recognised the Taliban so far, and the timeline for the implementation of this project is not known.

The plan to build the Trans-Afghan railway between Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan was presented in 2018 with the aim of creating an economic pathway that would connect Central Asia to the Indian Ocean.

It has been estimated that the construction of the 573 kilometers-long railway route will cost more than four and a half billion dollars. This railway line starts from Termez city and after passing through the cities of Mazar-e-Sharif and Kabul, it will reach Peshawar in Pakistan.