Uzbekistan and Afghanistan agree on Khairaton-Herat railway construction

Uzbekistan and Afghanistan have signed an agreement to build the Khairaton-Herat railway, a major infrastructure project aimed at extending the existing rail line from Khairaton, a strategic port city on the Uzbekistan border, through Mazar-i-Sharif and onward to Herat in western Afghanistan, according to Abdul Ghani Baradar, the acting Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan's interim government.

Following his two-day visit to Uzbekistan, Baradar stated that construction of the railway is set to begin within 10 days after the study is completed, with Uzbekistan covering the costs of the initial technical assessments. The two countries have decided to send Uzbek specialists to conduct a feasibility study.

The initial phase of this railway network saw the completion of a 75-kilometer stretch from Khairaton to Mazar-i-Sharif in 2010, funded by the Asian Development Bank. This segment has played a crucial role in facilitating trade between Afghanistan and Central Asia.

The expansion of the railway is expected to become a vital corridor linking Central Asia with the Middle East, thus boosting regional trade and economic integration. In 2018, Uzbekistan expressed its readiness to partially fund the 657-kilometer project to enhance regional connectivity.

Baradar was accompanied by Afghanistan’s Minister of Trade, Nooruddin Azizi, and Minister of Mines, Hedayatullah Badri, during the visit. Azizi mentioned that Badri had extended his stay in Uzbekistan for an additional two days to continue negotiations.

The Taliban delegation met with Uzbekistan's Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov and his deputy, Jamshid Khodjaev, to discuss a range of issues, including trade, energy, aviation, agriculture, and infrastructure.

The Deputy Prime Minister highlighted that a key outcome of the visit was the reduction of the cost of the 500-kilovolt electricity transmission project from Uzbekistan to Dast-i-Alwan in Afghanistan, from $252 million to $222 million.

Additionally, Uzbekistan agreed to increase electricity exports to Afghanistan during the summer while reducing tariffs.

The Minister of Trade also noted that seven important areas were identified during the discussions, including the development of trade and banking operations between the two countries. He mentioned that the possibility of extending the railway from Khairaton to Spin Boldak—passing through Herat, Farah, Nimroz, Helmand, and Kandahar—was also explored.