ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, March 16. Afghanistan
has initiated the transportation of eight commercial consignments
of national exports through the Lapis Lazuli Corridor,
Trend reports via the Afghan Ministry of Transport and Civil
Aviation.
The consignments, which include a range of products such as
dried fruit, jam, pressure cookers, and energy drinks, will be
transported by the Afghan logistics company “Rahmat Moomin.” These
goods will first cross the Torghundi border control point into
Turkmenistan. From there, they will be transferred to Türkiye,
following a route through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.
Upon reaching Türkiye, the shipments will then continue to their
final destinations in Saudi Arabia, the United States, Australia,
and the Netherlands.
The Lapis Lazuli Corridor is a multimodal trade and transit
route connecting Afghanistan with Europe through Turkmenistan,
Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye. The corridor was officially
established under a framework agreement signed in November 2017 at
the RECCA‑VII conference in Ashgabat, aiming to provide Afghanistan
with a safer and more cost‑effective alternative to traditional
export routes.
The route begins at Afghan border points such as Torghundi,
passes through Turkmenistan’s Turkmenbashi port, crosses the
Caspian Sea to Baku, and continues via Georgia to Türkiye, linking
Afghan goods to European and global markets. Named after the
historic lapis lazuli trade routes, the corridor integrates road,
rail, and maritime transport. Early operational data show that test
shipments of around 175 tons were carried in 2018, while by 2020,
about 55,500 tons of cargo were transported through Azerbaijan
along the corridor. At full capacity, the corridor is projected to
handle 2–3 million tons of goods per year.
The Lapis Lazuli Corridor is expected to boost Afghan exports,
reduce transit costs, and strengthen regional economic cooperation,
offering a long-term platform for trade between Central Asia, the
Caucasus, and Europe.
