Afghan Economic Minister: Work on Lapis-Lazuli project continues successfully - VIDEO

Work on the Lapis-Lazuli project (transport corridor Lazurite) continues successfully, Mustafa Mastoor, Minister of Economy of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, told Report in Davos.

"Thanks to the project, which was launched in December 2018, Afghanistan has already transported cargo twice. We thank all countries working on this project, including Azerbaijan. We have almost solved administrative issues such as visas, customs, and others, to complete this project," the minister said.

He noted that Azerbaijan has great potential and can contribute to many fields in Afghanistan: "Relations between Azerbaijan and Afghanistan have always been on a high level. I think Azerbaijan can play an important role in different issues, including the political and economic life of Afghanistan. Azerbaijan can contribute to the restoration of peace in Afghanistan. Moreover, Azerbaijan achieved successes in oil and gas and transport issues. Azerbaijan is also strong in the tourism sphere and can help attract investors in Afghanistan."

The five-party agreement on the Lapis-Lazuli route was signed on November 15, 2017, at the 8th Regional Conference on Economic Cooperation on Afghanistan (RECCA) between Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey. The agreement provides for the modernization of transport infrastructure (motor, railway, and sea transport) of the member-states and facilitation of customs procedures. The corridor is the most profitable route to supply cargo from Afghanistan and Asia to Europe.