Taliban Officials Hold Talks with Russia to Expand Railway Cooperation

Taliban administration officials and representatives from Russian Railways have discussed expanding bilateral cooperation in the railway sector and developing the North–South corridor.

The Taliban embassy in Ashgabat announced that Haji Fazl Mohammad Saber, the chargé d’affaires of the Taliban administration in Turkmenistan, met with Ivan Tonkikh, a representative of Russian Railways. According to the embassy, both sides emphasized the development of bilateral relations and the continuation of cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

The embassy stated that during the meeting, Saber provided information about investment opportunities in Afghanistan, particularly in the sectors of industry, agriculture, and trade.

Ivan Tonkikh welcomed the efforts to expand the North–South corridor and noted that the reduction of customs tariffs and the facilitation of trade procedures at the Aqina and Torghundi border ports had been significant. He added that he plans to visit Afghanistan soon to discuss the development of the railway network with relevant officials.

The North–South corridor is a regional transit route connecting Central Asian countries to Russia and other markets. The Aqina and Torghundi ports in northwestern Afghanistan are considered important commercial gateways.