Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, said on Thursday during the inauguration ceremony of the fifth section of the Hairatan–Mazar-i-Sharif railway that he hopes travel between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan will, in the future, take place without visas and passports.
Baradar said that the Taliban attach special importance to expanding relations with Uzbekistan and are trying to further broaden interaction and cooperation with neighboring countries based on goodwill.
He added that a special committee, headed by the governor of Balkh province, has also been established to examine potential problems in relations between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan and to take the necessary measures to resolve them, so that the level of cooperation and relations between the two countries can be further strengthened.
The Taliban’s economic deputy called on Afghan traders and investors living abroad to return to the country and invest in Afghanistan.
He said that the Taliban guarantee security and necessary facilities for investors, and that anyone can confidently invest in various sectors.
The fifth section of the Mazar-i-Sharif–Hairatan railway was inaugurated in the presence of the Taliban’s economic deputy, officials from the Ministry of Public Works, representatives of Uzbekistan, local authorities, and residents of Balkh province.
Officials from the Balkh Department of Public Works said that the cost of the project, including the railway, buildings, tracks, and other infrastructure, was estimated at 6.3 million dollars. The project was implemented under a contract with an Uzbek company. According to them, the entire cost of the project is being paid from the budget of the Taliban’s Ministry of Public Works.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
