Speaking exclusively with IRNA economic correspondent, the Iranian minister said that during an upcoming Iran-Afghanistan Joint Commission session, the two countries will discuss launching Herat-Khaf railway, customs cooperation and issues surrounding the energy sector.
He said that Iran and Afghanistan can also cooperate on renewable energies which require a joint investment scheme.
The minister said that officials from the two countries will do their best to give a boost to Herat-khaf railway project and reach the final point.
Afghan officials say that the railway project will be inaugurated within the next few months which they say will be a breakthrough in trade relations between the two neighboring countries.
Construction of Harat-Khaf railway, which is underway in four parts and is 193 km, began in 2007.
Two parts of the railway (77km), which is located in Iran, has been completed a long time ago but the two other parts (116km), on the Afghan soil, are yet to be worked out.
Khaf-Herat is part of the Iran-Afghanistan rail corridor. The project connects Iran’s eastern city of Khaf to Afghanistan’s western city of Ghoryan.
Iranian officials, including President Hassan Rouhani, have stressed the importance of the project in boosting trade ties with neighboring countries, including Afghanistan.
Experts believe speeding up the construction of Khaf-Herat railway will make Chabahar Port in southeastern Iran and Bandar Abbas, south Iran, more accessible for shipping millions of tons of goods.
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