A framework agreement was signed with Dubai-based port operator DP World to explore potential investment in the modernisation and upgrading of key border ports, the Taliban’s finance ministry said on Sunday.
Abdullah Azzam, chief of staff to the Taliban’s deputy chief minister for economic affairs, said at a signing ceremony in Kabul that the document allows both sides to assess investment options.
If final agreements are reached, he said, port management and operations would be carried out using “advanced equipment” and in line with international standards.
Under the plan, the first phase would focus on upgrading the Hairatan port on Afghanistan’s northern border with Uzbekistan, followed by redevelopment of the Torkham crossing on the Pakistan frontier.
The announcement comes as Afghanistan’s border crossings with Pakistan have remained closed to regular trade and movement for nearly two months amid heightened tensions between the two sides.
DP World, a subsidiary of Dubai World, operates more than 80 ports and terminals in over 40 countries and is one of the world’s largest logistics and port management companies.
