Officials Say Work on Wakhan Road Rapidly Progressing

The Acting minister referred to the significance of the Wakhan road in the economic development between China and Afghanistan, stating that the initial work on this road is progressing rapidly and will be completed in the near future.

The spokesperson for the ministry, Noorul Haadi Adil, stated that China has pledged its cooperation with the Islamic Emirate in the implementation of developmental projects and the construction of the Wakhan road.

“The work on the historic route of the Wakhan to the Chinese border is ongoing in a preliminary form by the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which is currently paused due to Eid. After Eid, the work on this road will resume once again,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) also said that the Wakhan road could play a fundamental role in finding new trade partners for Afghanistan.

The first deputy of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment, Mohammad Younus Momand, told TOLOnews: “Afghanistan is a landlocked country and needs to strengthen its relations with neighbors especially with those neighbors who are of significant economic importance, hence the Wakhan corridor is an important and strategic economic route for the strengthening of economic ties.”

Economic experts believe that China is a key country in creating job opportunities in Afghanistan through foundational and developmental projects.

Economist Sayed Masoud told TOLOnews: “If this is executed and managed seriously, it will have very good results, and moreover, it creates domestic and regional trusts and connects Afghanistan with the entire region.”

Previously, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate said that constructing the Wakhan Corridor with China, the start of the Trans-Afghan project, and the extraction of more mines were among the high priorities of the Islamic Emirate for the year 1403.