Uzbekistan and Afghanistan have agreed to construct the Khairaton-Herat railway.

After returning from a two-day visit to Uzbekistan, Baradar announced that the construction of the railway is planned to commence within 10 days after the completion of the study, with the Uzbek side covering the costs for the initial technical assessments.

The railway project involves the extension of the existing line from Hairatan, a key port city on the border with Uzbekistan, through Mazar-i-Sharif and towards Herat in western Afghanistan.

The initial phase of establishing this railway network included the construction of a 75-kilometer section from Hairatan to Mazar-i-Sharif, which was completed in 2010 with funding from the Asian Development Bank. This section has become a pivotal factor in facilitating trade between Afghanistan and Central Asia.

The expansion is expected to serve as a crucial corridor connecting Central Asia with the Middle East. This, in turn, will promote the development of regional trade and economic integration. In 2018, Uzbekistan expressed its readiness to partially finance this 657-kilometer project to enhance connectivity in the region.

During the visit, Baradar was accompanied by Taliban Trade Minister Nooruddin Azizi and Minister of Mining Hedayatullah Badri. Azizi noted that Badri decided to extend his stay in Uzbekistan by two days to continue negotiations.

The Taliban delegation held a meeting with Uzbekistan's Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov and his deputy Jamshid Khojaev to discuss issues related to trade, energy, aviation, agriculture, and infrastructure.

The deputy head of the government emphasized that one of the key outcomes of the visit was the reduction of the cost of the 500-kilovolt electricity transmission project from Uzbekistan to Dasht-i-Alwan in Afghanistan from $252 million to $222 million.

He also noted that Uzbekistan agreed to increase electricity exports to Afghanistan during the summer period while lowering tariffs.

The Trade Minister reported that seven important areas were highlighted during the discussions, including the development of trade and banking operations between the two countries. He also mentioned that the parties explored the option of extending the railway from Hairatan to Spin Boldak, passing through Herat, Farah, Nimroz, Helmand, and Kandahar.