Afghanistan plans to send first cargo to Europe via Azerbaijan

31 August 2018 16:23 (UTC+04:00)

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Afghanistan plans to send the first cargo to Europe via Azerbaijan in the near future, Afghan media reported.

As noted, the goods will be sent through the Lapis Lazuli route, which runs through Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and passes on to Europe. The goods will be delivered by road, rail, and maritime transport.

Afghanistan plans to supply carpets, saffron, medicinal plants and other goods.

Abdul Qadir Bahman, CEO of Afghanistan International Chamber of Commerce, said that trade via Lapis Lazuli is safer and cheaper in comparison with alternative routes.

According to the Lapis Lazuli project, railways and highways will connect the city of Torghundi in the Afghan province of Herat with Turkmenistan's Ashgabat, and further with the Caspian port of Turkmenbashi. The corridor will extend to Baku, going further through Tbilisi to Ankara with branches leading to Poti and Batumi in Georgia, and go ahead from Ankara to Istanbul.

The budget of the project is estimated at $2 billion. This large-scale project is aimed at increasing the economic integration of countries in the region and increasing trade.

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