BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 11. Afghanistan has
called for joint efforts with Turkmenistan to increase bilateral
trade by improving border, port and transport links.


This was announced in a report published by the Office of the
Prime Minister of Afghanistan.


According to the report, Afghanistan's Deputy Prime Minister for
Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund called for
reopening the Aikrim border crossing for oil transit and
facilitating Afghan transit goods at Turkmenbashi Port.


He also called for resolving obstacles to the reactivation of
the Lapis Lazuli Corridor and rehabilitating and expanding the
Herat-Torghundi railway network.


“The two sides should work jointly to increase trade,” the
publication quoted Baradar as saying.


In turn, Chairman of Turkmenistan's Halk Maslahaty (Parliament)
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stated that Ashgabat is ready to provide
all necessary facilities for Afghan transit and commercial goods at
Turkmenbashi Port.







Berdimuhamedov also emphasized joint efforts to reactivate the
Lapis Lazuli Corridor to increase trade between the two countries
and the wider region, the publication said.


Meanwhile, Turkmenistan has been developing its transport sector
around the idea of turning its Caspian coast and road and rail
network into a transit bridge between Central Asia, the South
Caucasus and international markets. A key element is the
International Seaport of Turkmenbashi, which provides a maritime
link across the Caspian and is intended to support cargo flows
between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan and onward to the South
Caucasus and Europe. The country has also invested in road and rail
links connecting the port with neighboring states and inland
destinations.


This infrastructure increasingly overlaps with the Middle
Corridor, or Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, linking
China and Central Asia with Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye before
reaching European markets. The country has also been working on
digitalizing transit procedures, including the use of the e-TIR
system, to reduce paperwork and improve the movement of goods
across borders.


Another part of Turkmenistan's transit strategy is the
development of routes toward Afghanistan and Iran. The Lapis Lazuli
Corridor connects Afghanistan through Turkmenistan, the Caspian Sea
and Azerbaijan with Türkiye and Europe, making Turkmenistan's
territory and the Port of Turkmenbashi part of a broader westward
trade route. Railway connections such as the Herat-Torghundi line
can further link Afghanistan's markets with Turkmenistan's
transport infrastructure. This makes the sector increasingly
important not only for transit revenues but also for diversifying
trade routes and strengthening Turkmenistan's position as a
logistics hub between Central Asia, the Caspian region and
Afghanistan.