Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Feb. 21
By Huseyn Hasanov – Trend:
The presidents of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, are currently holding one-on-one talks in Ashgabat, Trend reports referring to the Turkmen Dovlet Habarlary (TDH) state agency.
Following the summit meeting, it is planned to sign a solid package of documents designed to give new impetus to constructive political dialogue, expanding trade and economic partnership, and cultural and humanitarian contacts between the two states and nations, the TDH commentary reads.
Turkmenistan is lobbying for the implementation of a number of regional infrastructure projects with the participation of Afghanistan. Turkmenistan is particularly working on the implementation of such projects involving Afghanistan as the construction of a railway to Tajikistan and a gas pipeline to Pakistan and India.
Projects are also being assessed on the use of Afghan transit routes for the supply of Turkmen electricity. Furthermore, work is underway to create an Afghanistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey transport corridor heading to Europe.
The Lapis Lazuli transit project envisions railways and highways connecting the city of Torghundi in Afghanistan’s Herat Province with Ashgabat, and further with the Caspian port of Turkmenbashi. The corridor will continue to Baku, then through Tbilisi to Ankara with branches in Poti and Batumi, and then from Ankara to Istanbul.