Radio “Ozodi” with reference to a source in Tajikistan’s Ministry of Transportation reports that Dushanbe has not refused to implement the project to construct a railroad Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan (TAT).
According to an official in Tajikistan’s Ministry of Transportation, the works to implement the project are still underway.The delegation from three neighbouring countries last held negotiations to address the TAT project in late 2017.
The authorities of Tajikistan have already clarified the route which stretches along the territory of the country.In the meantime Kabul is supposed to define the route of the railroad from Afghanistan to Tajikistan.
An official from Tajikistan’s Ministry of Transportation emphasized that the railroad Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan is an alternative route.
— Apart from the railroad which runs through the territory of Uzbekistan, we would like to have a “reserve” or alternative broad gauge railway, — the official said.
On 20 September, in an interview to the Russian media outlet “Kommersant”, devoted to the development of transit transport flows in Uzbekistan, Ambassador Ambassador of Tajikistan to Uzbekistan Imomi Sodik Ashurboyzoda emphasized that the improvement of relationships with Uzbekistan encouraged Uzbekistan to “defer until better days” the project of the Turkmenistan-Tajikistan railroad through northern Afghanistan.
On 22 September the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan published an annoucement to express its confusion to the Tajik side in connection with the statement made by the Ambassador.