Turkmenistan agrees to participate in Lapis – Lazuli project
According to the Lapis Lazuli project, railways and highways should connect the Afghan Turgundi city of Herat province with Ashgabat, then with the Caspian Turkmenbashi port. The corridor will be extended to Baku, then through Tbilisi to Ankara with links to Poti and Batumi cities, then from Ankara to Istanbul.
The Turkmen authorities agreed to participate in the “Lapis Lazuli”, which will connect Afghanistan with Turkey through Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Georgia.
İt is presented as an opportunity to export Afghan goods to Europe.
The agreement on transit and transport cooperation Lapis Lazuli between Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and Turkmenistan was signed on November 15, 2017, at the ministerial meeting of the 7th Regional Economic Cooperation Conference on Afghanistan in Ashgabat.
According to the Lapis Lazuli project, railways and highways should connect the Afghan Turgundi city of Herat province with Ashgabat, then with the Caspian Turkmenbashi port. The corridor will be extended to Baku, then through Tbilisi to Ankara with links to Poti and Batumi cities, then from Ankara to Istanbul.
The project budget, which aims to facilitate transit logistics and simplify customs procedures, is estimated at $2 billion.