DUSHANBE, June 6, 2013, Asia-Plus  -- While in Turkmenistan, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon yesterday held talks with President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov of Turkmenistan and President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, the Tajik president’s official website reports.

In the course of the talks that took place in the city of Garlik, the sides discussed issues related to expansion of energy and transportation cooperation between their countries.

Speaking at a groundbreaking ceremony for construction of a rail link connecting Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan, the presidents reportedly noted that implementation of that project would promote development of the economies of the countries of the region and would improve significantly the flow of goods and services within the Central Asian region.

A total cost of the project is 400 million U.S. dollars and it is expected to be implemented in two years.