Ashgabat Agreement

Last updated

The Ashgabat Agreement is a multimodal transport agreement between the governments of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, India, Pakistan, and Oman for creating an international transport and transit corridor facilitating transportation of goods between Central Asia and the Persian Gulf. [1] [2] The agreement came into force in April 2016. Ashgabat in Turkmenistan is the depository state for the agreement. [3] [4] [5]

Contents

The agreement was originally signed by Iran, Oman, Qatar, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan on April 25, 2011. Qatar subsequently withdrew from the agreement in 2013, the same year Kazakhstan applied for membership, which was eventually approved in 2015. [6] [7] Pakistan has also joined the Agreement from November 2016. [8] [9] India formally joined in February 2018. [10]

Objective

The objective of this agreement is to enhance connectivity within Eurasian region and synchronize it with other transport corridors within that region including the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC).

Indian plans

The Indian government in March 2016 requested approval for acceding to the agreement. It received consent from the agreement's founding members before getting a formal entry on 3 February 2018. [11]

Connectivity

North–South Transport Corridor

For enhanced connectivity, the Ashgabat Agreement will also synchronize with the International North–South Transport Corridor encompassing ship, rail including Trans-Caspian railway, and road route for moving freight between India, Russia, Iran, Europe and Central Asia. The route primarily involves moving freight from India, Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia via ship, rail and road. [12]

Eurasian Railway Connectivity

This agreement will also leverage the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan (TAT) rail line from 2013, Afghanistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey transportation corridor in 2014, Iran-Turkmenistan-Kazakhstan railroad and TRACECA (Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia) comprising the EU and 14 Eastern European, South Caucasus and Central Asian states.

Chabahar-Afghanistan

The Chabahar Port in Iran has since 2017 created a trade link from India to Afghanistan, without having to cross through Pakistani territory. [13] [14] The agreement between the three countries was first signed in 2015. [15]

Earlier in 2011, India was finalising a proposal to construct a 900-km railway line that will connect Chabahar port in Iran to the mineral-rich Hajigak region of Afghanistan. [16] [17] It is yet to be implemented.

See also

Related Research Articles

Transport in Turkmenistan includes roadways, railways, airways, seaways, and waterways, as well as oil-, gas-, and water pipelines. Road-, rail-, and waterway transport fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Industry and Communications.

As of 2007, Uzbekistan's overland transportation infrastructure declined significantly in the post-Soviet era due to low investment and poor maintenance. Air transport was the only branch that received substantial government investment in the early 2000s, as airport modernization projects were undertaken. In the following years, improvements have been made to the surface transport network including the construction of the Tashkent–Samarkand high-speed rail line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India Pipeline</span> Natural gas pipeline

The Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) Gas Pipeline, also known as Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline, is a natural gas pipeline being developed by the Galkynysh – TAPI Pipeline Company Limited with participation of the Asian Development Bank. The pipeline will transport natural gas from the Galkynysh Gas Field in Turkmenistan through Afghanistan into Pakistan and then to India. Construction on the project started in Turkmenistan on 13 December 2015, while construction of the Afghanistan-Pakistan section of the pipeline was held in February 2018. Proponents of the project see it as a modern continuation of the Silk Road.

The Trans-Asian Railway(TAR) is a project to create an integrated freight railway network across Europe and Asia. The project is of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economic Cooperation Organization</span> Asian political and economic intergovernmental organization

The Economic Cooperation Organization or ECO is an Eurasian political and economic intergovernmental organization that was founded in 1985 in Tehran by the leaders of Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey. It provides a platform to discuss ways to improve development and promote trade and investment opportunities. The ECO is an ad hoc organisation under the United Nations Charter. The objective is to establish a single market for goods and services, much like the European Union. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the ECO expanded to include Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chabahar</span> City in Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran

Chābahār is a city in the Central District of Chabahar County, Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. It is a free port situated on the coast of the Gulf of Oman, and is Iran's southernmost city. The sister port city of Gwadar in Balochistan, Pakistan, is located about 170 kilometres (110 mi) to the east of Chabahar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic Republic of Iran Railways</span> State-owned rail company

The Islamic Republic of Iran Railways is the national state-owned railway system of Iran. The Raja Passenger Train Company is an associate of the IR, and manages its passenger trains. The Railway Transportation Company is an associate of the IR, which manages its freight transport. The Ministry of Roads & Urban Development is the state agency that oversees the IRIR. Some 33 million tonnes of goods and 29 million passengers are transported annually by the rail transportation network, accounting for 9 percent and 11 percent of all transportation in Iran, respectively (2011).

Shibar, is a district located in the western end of the Bamyan province in Afghanistan. It is in a mountainous region. The capital city Shibar is at 2,637 m altitude on the all-seasons secondary road from Bamyan to Kabul through the Shibar Pass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iran–Turkmenistan relations</span> Bilateral relations

Iran and Turkmenistan share a common border of more than 1000 km. Since Turkmenistan's independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the two countries have enjoyed good relations and have cooperated in economic, transportation, infrastructure development, and energy sectors. The two nations have strong historic ties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rail transport in Afghanistan</span> Afghan railway system

Afghanistan has three railway lines in the north of the country. The first is between Mazar-i-Sharif and the border town of Hairatan in Balkh province, which then connects with Uzbek Railways of Uzbekistan. The second links Torghundi in Herat province with Turkmen Railways of Turkmenistan. The third is between Turkmenistan and Aqina in Faryab province of Afghanistan, which extends south to the city of Andkhoy. The country currently lacks a passenger rail service, but a new rail link from Herat to Khaf in Iran for both cargo and passengers was recently completed. Passenger service is also proposed in Hairatan – Mazar-i-Sharif section and Mazar-i-Sharif – Aqina section.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chabahar Port</span> Port in Iran

Chabahar Port is a seaport in Chabahar located in southeastern Iran, on the Gulf of Oman. It serves as Iran's only oceanic port, and consists of two separate ports named Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti, each of which has five berths. It is only about 170 kilometres west of the Pakistani port of Gwadar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pakistan–Turkmenistan relations</span> Bilateral relations

Relations between Turkmenistan and Pakistan were established after Turkmenistan became independent from the Soviet Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rail transport in Tajikistan</span>

Rail transport in Tajikistan is limited, as the railroad system totals only 680 kilometres (420 mi) of non-electrified, single-track railway, all of it 1,520 mm broad gauge. The system connects the main urban centres of western Tajikistan with points in neighboring Uzbekistan. In 1999 a new line connected the southern cities of Bokhtar and Kulob. In 2016, another line connected both cities to the capital Dushanbe, thus linking southern and central railway networks together. The northern branch around Khujand remains physically disconnected from this main Tajik railway network, accessible only through a lengthy transit via Uzbekistan. As of 2017, the passenger service remains limited to infrequent international trains from Dushanbe and Khujand to Moscow, one weekly train from Dushanbe to Khujand as well as a local service between Dushanbe and Pakhtaabad (daily) and Kulyob/Shahrtuz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International North–South Transport Corridor</span> Freight corridor, Moscow to Mumbai

The International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a 7,200-km long multi-mode network of ship, rail, and road route for moving freight between India, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia and Europe. The route primarily involves moving freight from India, Iran, Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation via ship, rail and road. The objective of the corridor is to increase trade connectivity between major cities such as Mumbai, Moscow, Tehran, Baku, Bandar Abbas, Astrakhan, Bandar Anzali, etc. Dry runs of two routes were conducted in 2014, the first was Mumbai to Baku via Bandar Abbas and the second was Mumbai to Astrakhan via Bandar Abbas, Tehran and Bandar Anzali. The objective of the study was to identify and address key bottlenecks. The results showed transport costs were reduced by "$2,500 per 15 tons of cargo". Other routes under consideration include via Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

Hajigak Mine is the best known and largest iron oxide deposit in Afghanistan, located near the Hajigak Pass, with its area divided between Maidan Wardak and Bamyan provinces. It has the biggest untapped iron ore deposits of Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rail transport in Turkmenistan</span> Overview of rail transport in Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan has 4,980 kilometres (3,090 mi) of railways. The railway operator is the state owned company Türkmendemirýollary. The company belongs to the Ministry of Railways of Turkmenistan. Turkmenistan is currently expanding its rail system to cover 5,256.25 kilometres (3,266.08 mi) more distance, which will take its network to 10,236.25 kilometres (6,360.51 mi) track kilometres by 2025.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Railways Agency of Turkmenistan</span> Turkmen government agency

The Railways Agency of Turkmenistan (Turkmen: "Türkmendemirýollary" agentligi, previously the Ministry of Railways, is a government agency in Turkmenistan responsible for oversight of the state rail corporation "Demirýollary" AGPJ.

The Afghanistan–Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement is a bilateral trade agreement signed in 2010 by Pakistan and Afghanistan that calls for greater facilitation in the movement of goods amongst the two countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lapis Lazuli corridor</span> International transit route

Lapis Lazuli is an international transit route opened in 2018 linking Afghanistan to Turkey via Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Georgia.

The Five Nations Railway Corridor or Five States Railway Corridor is a proposed rail link in Central Asia between Iran in the west, through Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and reaching China in the east. Around half of the length of the railway would pass through northern Afghanistan. A preliminary agreement for developing the FNRC project was signed in the Tajik capital Dushanbe in December 2014 and has moved sluggishly since then. The project with a length of 2100 kilometres will run through five countries- China, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, and Iran, connecting China with the Iranian ports of Chabahar and Bandar Abbas. About 50 percent of the total railway line, roughly 1148 kilometres, will cross through Afghanistan’s Kunduz, Balkh, Jawozjan, Faryab, Badghis, and Herat provinces. A preliminary agreement for the railway link was first signed in 2014, with costs estimated at US$2 billion, however construction of the main section through Afghanistan is uncertain due to the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan.

References

  1. ↑ "Pakistan joins Ashgabat Agreement, Lapis Lazuli Corridor". 26 November 2016.
  2. ↑ "Land routes finalized to boost trade with Central Asia - Newspaper - DAWN.COM". 17 January 2016.
  3. ↑ "Pakistan joins Ashgabat Agreement, Lapis Lazuli Corridor - Pakistan - DAWN.COM". 26 November 2016.
  4. ↑ "Pakistan to join Ashgabat Agreement, Lapis Lazuli Corridor". 26 November 2016.
  5. ↑ "Pakistan announces to join Ashgabat Agreement, Lapis Lazuli Corridor - Pakistan - Dunya News".
  6. ↑ Bultenayu.edu.tr Archived 2018-12-28 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ "Kazakhstan joins the Ashgabat agreement".
  8. ↑ "Pakistan joins Ashgabat Agreement, Lapis Lazuli Corridor". The Indian Express. 26 November 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  9. ↑ "India joins Ashgabat agreement on transport corridor". 2 February 2018.[ permanent dead link ]
  10. ↑ "India joins Ashgabat agreement". The Indian Express. 2018-02-02. Retrieved 2018-02-14.
  11. ↑ "Ashgabat Agreement". www.thehansindia.com. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  12. ↑ "Despite U.S. opposition, Iran to be transport hub for North-South Corridor". The Hindu. 31 May 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2015.
  13. ↑ "Significance of India joining the Ashgabat Agreement | Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses".
  14. ↑ Chaudhury, Dipanjan Roy. "Uzbekistan seeks to be India's all-weather ally in Central Asia". The Economic Times.
  15. ↑ "India takes over operations of Iran's strategic Chabahar Port, can bypass Pak on way to Afghanistan". 24 December 2018.
  16. ↑ "India's Track 3: Afghan-Iran rail link - Hindustan Times". Archived from the original on 2011-11-02. Retrieved 2011-11-02.
  17. ↑ "The Frontier Post,Pakistan,Peshawar". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2016-04-17.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.