The Taliban has requested Turkmenistan to boost electricity supply to Afghanistan’s western Herat province, Turkmen media reported Wednesday.
An official source told Trend the request was made by Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi during a meeting in Ashgabat with Turkmenistan’s Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov.
The Taliban sought an increased electricity supply for Herat province through the Noorul Jihad electric substation, which Turkmenistan previously upgraded.
Additionally, the Taliban requested easing visa issuance for Afghan entrepreneurs and transport workers, investments to continue constructing the Turghandi-Herat and Andkhoi-Shabarghan railway lines to Mazar-e-Sharif, and more scholarships for Afghan students in Turkmenistan.
In response, the Turkmen side highlighted the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline as a strategically important project and noted significant progress toward its launch, with joint Afghan-Turkmen teams soon to start practical work.
Turkmenistan’s Foreign Minister emphasized the strategic importance of the railway line to Afghanistan, announcing plans to increase the capacity of the Turghandi railway station, with technical groups to resume work shortly.
Earlier this year, Turkmenistan and Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), Afghanistan’s power distributor, signed a deal for the supply of 1.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2024. The agreement was reached during a visit by DABS CEO Muhammad Hanif Hamza to Turkmenistan, where he met with Turkmenistan’s Energy Minister Annageldi Saparov and executives from the Turkmenenergo State Electric Power Corporation.
