{"id":6043,"date":"2014-12-14T19:58:31","date_gmt":"2014-12-14T19:58:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.andrewgrantham.co.uk\/afghanistan\/?p=6043"},"modified":"2014-12-18T22:38:42","modified_gmt":"2014-12-18T22:38:42","slug":"five-countries-sign-china-to-iran-railway-agreement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.andrewgrantham.co.uk\/afghanistan\/five-countries-sign-china-to-iran-railway-agreement\/","title":{"rendered":"Five countries sign China to Iran railway agreement"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A preliminary agreement for developing the proposed China – Kyrgyzstan – Tajikistan – Afghanistan – Iran railway<\/a> was signed in the Tajik capital Dushanbe on 8-9 December 2014.1<\/a><\/sup> <\/p>\n

The meeting was chaired by Tajikistan’s First Deputy Minister of Transport, Sherali Gan\u00e7alzoda, and included representatives of the transport ministries and authorities of the five countries. The attendees were updated on the current state of the railways, development plans, and the steps needed to connect the rail networks. <\/p>\n

The Ministry of Transport statement<\/a> doesn’t give much background (and is Tajik), but media reports say the route of the proposed line was agreed. Some reports seem to have got the list of places to be served a bit backwards, but they suggest the line would run from Kashgar in China to Herat in Afghanistan, then run on to Iran – presumably using the Khaf to Herat line which is currently under construction<\/a>.2<\/a><\/sup> <\/p>\n

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Launched the protocol of joining the 2100km railroad construction from China-Kyrgyz-Tajik-Iran through Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com\/Hs2wF5wRKd<\/a><\/p>\n

— Wahid Waissi (@WahidWaissi) December 17, 2014<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n