BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 22. Afghanistan and
Turkmenistan have agreed to establish a joint commission on road
transport and facilitate transit between the two countries
following talks in Herat today.
The information was reported by Afghanistan’s Ministry of
Transport and Civil Aviation in a statement.
According to the ministry, a two-day meeting between Afghan and
Turkmen technical delegations was held in Herat to strengthen
bilateral transport and transit ties.
The talks covered measures to facilitate visa issuance for
Afghan and Turkmen drivers and traders, operationalize the Lapis
Lazuli transit corridor and increase the movement of transit
vehicles between the two countries, the ministry said.
The sides also agreed to establish a joint commission to address
issues related to road transport.
The meeting brought together representatives of Afghanistan’s
ministries of foreign affairs, industry and commerce and the
railway authority, while the Ministry of Transport and Civil
Aviation led the Afghan delegation.
The sides also discussed railway links, bilateral trade and
transit cooperation, with private-sector representatives expected
to participate in related discussions, according to the
ministry.
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.
