Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the President of Uzbekistan, has asked Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, to have Moscow participate in the Afghan-Trans railway project.

The news agency RIA Novosti reported that Mirziyoyev informed Putin that he had also discussed the project with the Russian Minister of Transportation.

RIA Novosti reported that Mirziyoyev spoke with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, in the city of Kazan.

During the meeting, the Uzbek president said that the value of joint projects between Uzbekistan and Russia currently amounts to $45 billion.

The Afghan-Trans railway project, proposed in 2018, aims to create an economic corridor connecting Central Asia with Pakistan's seaports, involving Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan.

The construction cost of this railway is estimated at over 4.5 billion dollars and spans 573 kilometres. According to the plan, the railway route will start in Termez, Uzbekistan, and after passing through the cities of Mazar-e Sharif and Kabul, it will reach Peshawar, Pakistan.

The Taliban's Railway Authority announced on Tuesday, February 20, that a memorandum of understanding for the commencement of the technical and economic study of the "Afghan-Trans" railway project has been signed with Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates. It has been stated that the cost of the technical study of this project will be covered by an Arab company.