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.
