Baku, Azerbaijan, May 31
By Fikret Dolukhanov, Umid Niayesh – Trend:
Iran and Uzbekistan will discuss current state and prospects for development of the railway infrastructure in the Uzbek city of Termez bordering Afghanistan, Iranian news agency Mehr reported.
Discussions will be held within the framework of the visit of the Iranian delegation headed by Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi to Uzbekistan.
Reportedly, the minister will stay in the country until June 2. During this time, the Iranian delegation will also visit Samarkand and Bukhara and hold meetings with representatives of enterprises of construction and transport sphere to sign a memorandum of cooperation.
Termez is a strategic city due to its location on the Afghan border. The military airfield in Termez is used by the air forces of Germany for transiting goods to Afghanistan.
In July 2009, it was decided to establish a “Termez regional railway junction” which will be one of the main places in the planned transit of non-lethal NATO supplies to Afghanistan. The transit is to be carried out through territories of Russia, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan through the Tashguzar-Boysun-Kumkurgan railway laid in 2009.
On May 30, Iranian delegations led by Minister of Roads and Urban Development Abbas Akhoundi and Deputy Minister of Agriculture Ali Akbar Mehrfard arrived in Uzbekistan.
The delegations are planning to participate in a number of exhibitions in Uzbekistan.
---
Follow the author on Twitter: @FDolukhanov