Azerbaijan, Baku, 15 April / Trend, V. Zhavoronkova, T. Jafarov /
Afghanistan and Tajikistan are in the process of selecting options for the route of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan railway's section between the two countries, the head of department of the Ministry of Railway Transport of the Republic of Tajikistan Muzaffar Boboev told Trend on Monday.
"A delegation from Afghanistan visited Dushanbe in late March," Boboev said.
According to him, during the visit, the parties discussed the issue of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan railway construction.
Boboev said the parties discussed four options for the route of the section connecting Tajikistan and Afghanistan, namely Kolkhozabad-Kunduz-Sherkhan-Bandar, Ayvadzh-Kaldar-Khayraton, Ayvadzh-Mazari-Sharif, Bishkent-Khayraton.
According to him, the priority option for Tajikistan is the Ayvadzh-Kaldar-Khayraton route. Dushanbe is awaiting Afghanistan's response on its choice.
Boboev noted that the project's funding is under discussion, and the project is being evaluated.
According to him, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed to provide funds for construction of the road following the finalization of the project's cost.
Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan signed a memorandum on the construction of the railway on the results of talks between Presidents Hamid Karzai, Emomali Rahmon and Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov in Ashgabat in late March.
