On 10 August, the National Leader of the Turkmen people and Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, undertook a working visit to the Mary velayat and visited Afghanistan. This was reported by the news agency TDH.

From Ashgabat International Airport, Hero Arkadag travelled to Mary International Airport. The National Leader of the Turkmen people then arrived at the Islam-Cheshme border zone in the town of Serhetabat, Tagtabazar etrap, and travelled to Afghanistan.

During the visit, negotiations were held with Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Chairman of the Afghan Cabinet of Ministers for Economic Affairs. The parties discussed the development of bilateral cooperation in the fuel and energy, transport and logistics, electricity, education and other sectors.

Particular attention was paid to the ‘Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India’ (TAPI) gas pipeline project and its ‘Serhetabat–Herat’ section, known as ‘Arkadagyň ak ýoly’. The project’s role in developing energy cooperation and expanding economic ties between the countries was highlighted.

The parties also considered issues relating to the implementation of the ‘Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan’ power transmission line and the fibre-optic communication line. Discussions centred on the development of the ‘Lapis Lazuli’ transport corridor, the creation of logistics infrastructure and the simplification of freight transport procedures.

In the field of education, attention was drawn to the possibility of increasing the number of Afghan students at higher education institutions in Turkmenistan and training specialists for the gas sector, including for the TAPI project.

The National Leader of the Turkmen people proposed establishing a Turkmen-Afghan commission on economic cooperation to further promote joint projects and strengthen the legal framework for cooperation.

During the visit, a signing ceremony was held for a Memorandum of Understanding between the State Concern ‘Türkmengaz’ and the State Corporation ‘Afghan Gas’ of Afghanistan. The document provides for joint work on the creation of specialised infrastructure in Herat Province, as well as the supply of Turkmen gas to industrial enterprises, power stations and the general public.

As part of the trip, video footage was presented showing the progress of construction on the ‘Serhetabat–Herat’ gas pipeline. Around 300 units of modern specialised machinery are being used to carry out the work.

At the end of the visit, Hero Arkadag returned to Mary International Airport, from where he flew to Ashgabat.