TLTP
\nKABUL
\nThe opening of a new rail link between Iran and Afghanistan will increase not only trade but also Tehran\u2019s political influence on the land-locked nation, officials and experts believe.
\nThe 140 km rail line from Khawaf in eastern Iran to western Afghanistan opened on Thursday, providing a transport link that will allow Afghan goods to reach Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. The rail line also offers Iran another route into Central Asia.
\n\u201cIran has increased its involvement here because it will benefit for years to come from its imports here and to Central Asia,\u201d Afghan MP Fawzia Zaki told foreign media. The rail link was inaugurated in a virtual ceremony by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, who said that it would \u201cstrengthen relations between Afghanistan and Iran.\u201d
\nThe line spans 70 km in Iran and 60 km in Afghanistan, with Afghan authorities planning to lengthen it by 80 km to reach the city of Herat and its industrial park, which has become a trading hub with Iran and Central Asia in recent years.
\nLocal officials estimate that Afghanistan can import 2 million tons of goods annually from Iran via the Khawaf-Herat link. Besides freight, the railway will also carry passengers.
\n\u201cThe corridor can unlock the untapped trade potential of Afghanistan and pave the way for economic growth,\u201d Ahmad Samin, a former adviser to the World Bank, told foreign media. According to Shamrooz Khan Masjidi, spokesman for Afghanistan\u2019s finance ministry, the project also will reduce Kabul\u2019s dependence on Islamabad for trade.
\n\u201cIt will more than anything reduce reliance on Pakistan. It\u2019s part of our regional connectivity mega-plan. Afghanistan needs affordable and connected transportation for its economic growth and trade balance. Railways offer that platform. We can connect not only with Iran but also the wider region,\u201d he said.
\nHowever, while the rail link is expected to make Kabul less reliant on Pakistan, it is likely to increase Iran\u2019s political influence. \u201cIran is an important trading partner with Afghanistan and the Khawaf-Herat railway will further strengthen the two countries\u2019 economic and political relationship,\u201d analyst Shakib Noori said.
\nThe Afghan government will have to improve its security and ensure the railway does not become a \u201csoft target for terrorist groups,\u201d he added. Torek Farhadi, a former adviser for the International Monetary Fund, told media that trade with Iran is a \u201cgeostrategic imperative\u201d for Afghanistan since it offers \u201cmore options for imports from international markets.\u201d
\n\u201cReducing reliance on Pakistan makes both political and business sense,\u201d he said. Another political analyst, Nasratullah Haqpal, said that \u201cIran is keen to deepen its influence and economic ties in Afghanistan because of its untapped resources and other opportunities in the region.\u201d
\nHe said that the US also believes the Iranian port of Chabahar has a pivotal role in outweighing China\u2019s massive infrastructure investment in Pakistan. \u201cThe US wants to decrease Beijing\u2019s role in development projects in the region and therefore has not included Chabahar in its sanctions,\u201d Haqpal said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
TLTP KABUL The opening of a new rail link between Iran and Afghanistan will increase not only trade but also Tehran\u2019s political influence on the land-locked nation, officials and experts believe. The 140 km rail line from Khawaf in eastern Iran to western Afghanistan opened on Thursday, providing a transport link that will allow Afghan […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":161668,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-161655","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n