DUSHANBE, October 29, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Construction of a rail link connecting Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Iran will promote stabilization of the situation in Afghanistan, Afghanistan Minister of Public Works Abdul Qudus Hamidi told reporter in Dushanbe yesterday, following a meeting with President Emomali Rahmon.

According to him, many international financial institutions and donor countries have already shown interest in that project.

“Some stretches of the future railroad have already been built,” said Hamidi, “In Afghanistan, the stretches from Khairatan to Mazar-i Sharif and from Herat to Iran’s border have already been completed.  It remains to build the stretch from Panji Poyon (Tajikistan) to Mazar-i Sharif and from there to Heart.”

He noted that specialists from three Persian-speaking countries were currently conducting feasibility study for the construction of that rail link.

 This railroad is aimed at boosting trade, increasing exports, and easing transit costs in the region.