Speech of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund During Meeting with the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan on the sidelines of the ECO Summit

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

To the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the friend country Turkmenistan, Rashid Meredov, and the accompanying delegation:
 

Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.

I pray to the Almighty for your complete health and well-being.
I am pleased that on the sidelines of the ECO Summit, we have the opportunity to meet and discuss key joint economic matters between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. This is indeed a valuable occasion.

Afghanistan and Turkmenistan are two neighboring and friend countries with shared religious, historical, cultural, and economic commonalities. These shared values have strengthened the bilateral relationship between our two nations.

Among many joint economic interests, the TAPI project is one of the major regional initiatives. It not only enhances cooperation between Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, but also provides a foundation for strengthening ties among other regional countries.

I would like to briefly highlight a few important points in relation to the enhancement of mutual relations and progress on specific matters:

First: The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan seeks positive and constructive relations with all its neighbors. We are working to further strengthen these ties through effective diplomatic channels. In this regard, we propose elevating the level of diplomatic relations by appointing an ambassador to Ashgabat and a consul general to Mary.

Second: The Islamic Emirate has finalized the route map for the TAPI pipeline, which will be officially shared with the Embassy of Turkmenistan in Kabul.

Third: The TAPI project is a major regional initiative. Since the oversight of this project falls under the leadership of your honorable government, I extend my special thanks once again. God willing, we hope to see substantial progress on the project in the near future. The Islamic Emirate is fully committed to ensuring its smooth implementation in Afghanistan without delay or obstruction.

Fourth: Praise be to Allah, the construction of the Torghundi–Herat railway, the expansion of the Torghundi station, and other vital regional connectivity and development projects are progressing successfully. We anticipate significant achievements through joint collaboration in these areas.

Fifth: It is evident that the TAPI, TAP and railway projects are of strategic importance for securing mutual benefits and enhancing regional connectivity. We hope that the friend country Turkmenistan will invest in various sectors of Afghanistan’s economy and will support large-scale economic initiatives, both directly and indirectly.

Sixth: As previously noted, the two countries enjoy good trade relations. To further enhance these commercial ties, we call for greater facilitation in the issuance of visas to Afghan traders.

Seventh: To further strengthen bilateral trade, we propose the establishment of chambers of commerce in both Ashgabat and Kabul. This initiative will raise the level of trade between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan and help streamline relevant processes and issues.

Eighth: I am confident that, based on the existing opportunities and mutual needs, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan can become excellent economic partners in the region. There is a pressing need for both countries to work together on launching and managing projects in mining, transport, transit, services, regional infrastructure, and foundational development. These efforts will play a significant role in fostering economic stability, growth, and prosperity for both nations in the near future.

Likewise, Turkmenistan has made considerable progress in the agriculture sector. The Islamic Emirate is eager to benefit from Turkmenistan’s experience in this area. I hope that technical teams from both countries will collaborate on this matter.

Ninth: As banking operations and financial facilities are a key component of strengthening joint trade, we propose the opening of bank branches in Ashgabat and Kabul. This would greatly alleviate the difficulties and confusion faced by traders.

In conclusion, I once again thank the friend country Turkmenistan for its cooperation and goodwill toward Afghanistan. I hope that we will continue working together on the aforementioned matters and other areas of mutual interest.

Wassalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.