AKIPRESS.COM - The Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) have signed a protocol for negotiations on developing a feasibility study (FS) for the Jaloliddini-Balkhi - Panji Poyon railway project, Asia-Plus reports, citing the Ministry of Transport of Tajikistan.

"The main goal of this project is to access the markets of South Asian countries (Afghanistan, Pakistan, India)," Tajikistan's Minister of Transport Azim Ibrohim said.

The Minister added that the proposed railway would promote regional trade development, maintain the condition of constructed highways, and reduce the load and traffic intensity on roads.

Acting South Korean Ambassador to Tajikistan Jeon Sung-sik Seoul stated that the project is another step towards Tajikistan's progressive future.

"This will allow Tajikistan to gain access to the sea and become a key link in international transportation," he said.

The Ambassador noted that this is South Korea's first railway construction project in Central Asia and expressed hope that the work would be fully completed within three years.

The Ministry of Transport emphasized that the protocol was signed following several rounds of meetings between the parties and regulates all organizational and legal aspects of the process of developing the FS for the Jaloliddini-Balkhi – Panji Poyon railway project.  The expected cost of developing the FS is $4 million.

The railway to the Afghan border will be approximately 51 kilometers long, involving the construction of 28 bridges and 160 drainage systems.