ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, Nov. 2
By Huseyn Hasanov – Trend:
A meeting of the Turkmen-Tajik intergovernmental commission on trade, economic, scientific and technical cooperation was held in Ashgabat, Trend reports referring to the Turkmen Foreign Ministry.
The Turkmen side was represented by Minister of Finance and Economy Batyr Bazarov, the Tajik side was represented by Minister of Energy and Water Resources Usmonali Usmonzoda.
The parties discussed the prospects for expanding the transport and communication system through the construction of railways and highways, in particular, the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan (TAT) railway construction project was considered, the report said.
The meeting participants also discussed the possibility of increasing trade between the countries. Separately, issues related to the establishment of direct contacts between the economic entities of the two countries, including the organization of joint business projects, were discussed.
The similarity of positions on the rational use of water resources and the need to strengthen cooperation within the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea were noted, the report said.
In July 2019, a ceremony was held to begin the construction of the railway between the Afghan Aqina and Andkhoy cities. This route is a part of the new TAT transport corridor.
A tripartite memorandum on the TAT project was signed in March 2013. In November 2016, a railway was launched in the east of Turkmenistan from the Turkmen Atamurat city to the Afghan Aqina settlement.
The new road should eventually connect the Afghan Aqina - Andkhoy section with the Atamurat – Imamnazar section in Turkmenistan and Panj city in Tajikistan, and this will increase trade cooperation, experts say.
It is assumed that this large-scale project will become part of the Asian international transport corridor, which will reach China’s extensive railway network and through it the markets of the Asia-Pacific region.