Afghanistan railway chief, Iranian envoy discuss expansion of rail links

Mohammad Ashraf Haqshenas, spokesman for the Ministry of Public Works, said in a statement posted on X that Iranian Ambassador to Kabul Alireza Bikdeli had met with Mawlawi Abdul Karim Fateh, the newly appointed head of the Afghanistan Railway Authority.

According to the statement, Bikdeli said a number of Iranian and foreign investors were interested in investing in the construction of the Balkh-Herat railway.

He said around 120,000 metric tonnes of goods are currently transported each month through the Khaf-Herat railway, and efforts are under way to increase the volume to 160,000 metric tonnes.

The statement quoted Fateh as appreciating Iran’s cooperation in the railway sector and saying suitable conditions had been created for domestic and foreign investment in Afghanistan.

Fateh added that the ARA was fully prepared to support foreign investors in the sector.

At the end of the meeting, both sides stressed the continuation of cooperation between Afghanistan and Iran in economic relations, trade and infrastructure projects.