Afghanistan and China sign railway feasibility study memorandum

Posted on by Andrew Grantham

Afghan Ambassador to China Janan Mosazai and a Chinese construction company signed a memorandum of understanding on 8 June 2017 for a Chinese-funded feasibility study to be conducted within the next 12 months for a railway line which would run from Sher Khan Bandar on the border with Tajikistan to Herat.1

Oddly, various news reports talk about “reconstruction”2 or “reviving” a railway, although there has not been a line from Sher Khan Bandar to Herat.

I can’t find details of which company is involved. Anyone know?

The President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani met with the president of the people’s Republic of China Xi Jinping, at the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, Thursday morning, Astana.
[…]
[The Chinese president] referred to the commercial cooperation between the two countries in the framework of one-belt-one-road design and said that China is keen to foster commercial ties with Afghanistan especially on construction of railways, dams, roads and housing, implementation of electricity projects and exporting Afghan products to Chinese markets.
[…]
President Ghani described construction of railways as a central element for encouraging regional connectivity, transit and commercial ties. Such connectivity initiatives will connect Iran with China and central Asia with eastern Asia through the Chinese economic corridor.

The President also stressed that it is time China and Afghanistan and other regional countries should take constructive measures for regional connectivity.
[…]
Following the meeting of the two leaders, two memorandums of understanding were signed by Afghan ambassador for China and chairman of Chinese company on construction of Sher Khan port-Herat railways and implementation of an electricity project in Kunar.

As mentioned in the MoUs, the Chinese company will conduct a feasibility study in twelve months on construction of Sher Khan port-Herat railways.

Source: President Ghani Meets With President Of People’s Republic Of China, Office of the President, 9 June 2017

References

One thought on “Afghanistan and China sign railway feasibility study memorandum”

  1. Left signatory looks like it could be Xi Guohua of CRRC??

    China Road and Bridge Corporation and Yamm Shams of Afghanistan National Railway met in May at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

    “CRBC VICE PRESIDENT LIU JINGBO MEETS WITH THE DIRECTOR OF AFGHANISTAN NATIONAL RAILWAY
    Resource：Marketing Dept Date：19/05/2017 10:16:34
    On May 14, CRBC Vice President Liu Jingbo met with his Excellency Mohammad Yamma Shams- Director of Afghanistan National Railway who came to China to attend the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation. Both parties exchanged in-depth views with each other on the cooperation in railway businesses in Afghanistan.
    CRBC Vice President Liu Jingbo introduced the achievements made by CRBC in international markets and the operation and development conditions in Afghanistan markets in recent years, and emphatically introduced the tracking conditions of the railway projects of CRBC in Afghanistan.
    His Excellency Shams noted that, as an important country along the Silk Road Economic Belt, Afghanistan is really willing to participate in the construction of the “Belt and Road”, and that Afghanistan National Railway is looking forward to cooperating with CRBC, an international enterprise with strong strength, to jointly promote the construction and development of railway in Afghanistan.”

    http://www.crbc.com/site/crbcEN/companyNews/info/2017/4653.html

    Reply

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