Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, May 29 / Trend, H. Hasanov /
An official Turkmen delegation met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul. An invitation was delivered to the president to take part in the solemn ceremony of laying the Turkmen section of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan railway, the Turkmen government said today.
According to the information, Karzai conveyed sincere appreciation to the Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov for Turkmenistan's continued assistance and support in the socio-economic revival of its neighbor.
"Afghanistan very much appreciates this fraternal assistance and support," the Afghan leader said.
An active position in restoring Afghanistan's social infrastructure was stressed. Schools and clinics were built with the Turkmen participation.
A Turkmen delegation was led by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov. According to the government report, Berdimuhamedov stressed Turkmenistan's continued commitment to the traditionally friendly, good-neighborly relations with Afghanistan.
The Memorandum of Understanding on the construction of the railway line was signed between Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan following the summit with heads of three countries, held in Ashgabat in March.
Earlier, an intergovernmental framework agreement on the construction of the 85-kilometer railway line Atamyrat-Ymamnazar (Turkmenistan) and the 38-kilometer line between Akina and Andhoi (Afghanistan) was signed by Ashgabat and Kabul.
The events on laying the Atamyrat-Ymamnazar railway are underway in Lebap region. It will be constructed by the departments of the Turkmen Ministry of Railway Transport.
According to the Turkmen press, Afghanistan proposed Turkmenistan to build a railway line on the Imamnazar-Akina in its territory. Relevant negotiations have been recently held with the participation of the authorized representatives of the two countries in Ashgabat.