While already in use, the Herat-Khaf railway–a major joint infrastructuralproject between Afghanistan and Iran–officially opened on Thursday.

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani and Iranian President Hassan Rouhaniboth spoke online at the ceremony. Both presidents said they wanted toattend in person, but neither did due to COVID-19 fears.

The Herat-Khaf railway will strengthen relations between Afghanistan andIran, Rouhani said.

President Ghani called the Herat-Khaf railway a vital and importantproject, not only for Afghanistan and Iran but also for the region andbeyond.

“Today we witness the inauguration of the historic Khaf-Herat railwayproject as the result of tireless efforts of the two nations in the area ofregional connectivity and reaching to economic prosperity in the future,”said Afghan President Ashraf Ghani who spoke virtually alongside theIranian president Hassan Rouhani during the ceremony.

“Our relations have always been based on the heart, cultures, ideas, andefforts. Today the launching of this railway link further intensifies thisrelation,” said Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Economic significance:

“It will create a major hope for the 600,000 unemployed youths who live inHerat. This will also increase our exports,” said Sayed Wahid Qatali, thegovernor of Herat.

Afghan officials have said that the project will decrease the costs ofproducts that Afghanistan exports to the other destinations in the region.

Khaf-Herat railway is 130 km long, with 70 km in Iran and 60 km inAfghanistan.

On Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif hailed the jointrailway project linking eastern Iran to western Afghanistan as a boost toregional trade and travel.

Khaf-Herat railway is important “not only for Iran and Afghanistan, but forthe greater region,” Zarif said in a tweet, adding that “as a gatewaythat’ll boost trade and people-to-people exchanges, it will also contributeto regional stability and development.”

A week ago, for the first time, imported goods arrived in Herat from Iranvia the Herat-Khaf railway. The cargo was “500 (metric) tons of cement,”said officials.

Meanwhile, another passenger train carrying Iranian officials also arrivedin the Ghoryan district of Herat.

Afghanistan can now benefit from a railway that for the first time linksTurkey and Europe with Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf.

The project was started in April 2007 with Iran’s aid at a cost of $75million and was due to finish in 2009 but was delayed because of variousissues.

Completion of the project will affect transit facilities in Afghanistan andsolve many investors’ and merchants’ problems.

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