A railroad has been launched to link Khaf in northeastern Iran to Rozanak in Afghanistan’s Herat Province.The strategic railroad linkup took place in a ceremony on Tuesday, which was attended by officials of Iran and Afghanistan, IRNA reported.The rail project, which is seen as part of a puzzle connecting regional countries, was started in 2007.Khaf-Herat railroad is also part of a major 2,000-kilometer-long East-West railroad running through China, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Turkey to Europe. It will provide landlocked Afghanistan with access to high seas via Iranian ports in northern country.The construction project of the railroad had been stalled due to the change in Afghan government, but it was completed last year and an Iranian cargo train arrived in Afghanistan on Tuesday.According to Governor of Khorasan Razavi Province Yakub Ali Nazari, the railroad will reduce the cost and time of transportation of Iranian goods to Afghanistan and connect Kabul with other Asian and European countries."With the launch of the only rail route between Iran and Afghanistan, our country's exports to Afghanistan will accelerate. One of the advantages of this railroad is higher speed and lower cost of supplying goods to Afghanistan, which will increase significantly by alleviating security and traffic problems at the Dogharoun border," he said. (ICE TEHERAN)

Fonte notizia: Financial Tribune