Taliban and Turkmenistan begin transit talks in Herat

A two-day meeting between a Taliban administration delegation and a technical delegation from Turkmenistan began on Monday in Herat province, with the talks focused on transport and transit cooperation between the two sides.

The Taliban administration’s Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation said in a statement that its delegation is made up of representatives from the ministries of foreign affairs, industry and commerce, transport and civil aviation, and the Afghanistan Railways Authority, and is taking part in the talks under the leadership of the ministry.

According to the Taliban administration, key issues on the agenda include easing the visa issuance process for drivers and traders from both countries, operationalising the Lapis Lazuli Transit Corridor, and allowing the free movement of transit vehicles between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan.

Herat is one of Afghanistan’s provinces bordering Turkmenistan and is considered an important crossing point for trade and transit between Afghanistan and Central Asia. The Lapis Lazuli Corridor is also one of the regional transit routes connecting Afghanistan to external markets via Turkmenistan.