silk-road
Lapis Lazuli Corridor
On November 15, 2017, delegates from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey inked the Lapis Lazuli Agreement. This official pact, signed in Turkmenistan, aims to develop road, rail, and sea routes from Afghanistan, traversing Turkmenistan, the Caspian Sea, and the South Caucasus, ultimately leading towards Europe. Its primary objectives include facilitating the unhindered movement of cargo and passengers and managing transit traffic effectively. According to the information of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan (mfa.gov.tm), the ministers discussed the active cooperation between Turkmenistan and Georgia in the fields of transport, energy and communications both on bilateral and international levels.
During the "Silk Road Forum" held in Tbilisi in October 2023, the Minister of Transport of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Yama Yari, emphasized the significance of the international transport corridor project known as "Lapis Lazuli." Participating in the panel titled "Transport links - transformation along and beyond the Silk Road," Minister Yari highlighted, "We have established a new corridor known as 'Lapis Lazuli.' Through this initiative, we facilitate the transportation of cargo to China, India, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. We need to mobilize internal resources to bolster cargo turnover and advance infrastructure development."
The Lapis Lazuli Corridor starts in Faryab province of Afghanistan, at Aqina border crossing point with Turkmenistan and Turqundi border crossing point with Turkmenistan in Herat province and continues to Turkmenistan's Caspian Sea port of Turkmenbash. Then, through the Caspian Sea, it enters Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, and connects it with the capital of Georgia, as well as the ports of Poti and Batumi. The route will also pass through the Turkish city of Istanbul on the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and finally enters in Europe.
For Afghanistan, this route is of great importance, as it is an alternative and at the same time the shortest, cheapest and safest way in the above-mentioned regions. Lapis lazuli is a historical corridor and means "blue stone" (in Latin Lapis - stone, in Persian lazhward - blue). 2000 years ago, "blue stone" was exported from the Afghan city of Badakhshan to Europe using the mentioned route.
The corridor, comprising road and railway networks, serves as a vital trade-transit route spanning Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Balkans, and Central Europe. The concept of the "Lapis Lazuli" corridor emerged in 2012. The choice of such a poetic name prompts the question: why? When asked, representatives of the Afghan delegation responded with a smile, stating, "Many centuries ago, our Afghan 'lazhward' and other semi-precious stones were found in the Caucasus, Europe, and North Africa.
During that era, there existed a segment along the Great Silk Road known as 'Lazvardovani.' Now is the time to honor and recall this historical connection." A trade route for Afghanistan via the Caspian and Black Seas to Europe reduces dependence on ports in Iran, Pakistan and India. The road also effectively connects South Asia with European countries. The trade and transit route to China is also important for Afghanistan. These transit directions are as follows:
Direction Europe-Afghanistan:
1. Through the ports of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan. The total length of the route is 4234 km.
2. Through the ports of Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan. The total length of the route is 3765 km.
Direction China-Afghanistan:
1. China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan. The total length of the route Urumchi-Kashgar-Irkeshtam-Osh-Andijan-Tashkent-Thermezi-Khayraton-Kabul is 3713 km.
2. China-Tajikistan-Afghanistan. The total length of the route Urumqi-Kashgar-Irkeshtam-Dushanbe-Kvemo Fianji-Kabul is 2813 km.
3. China-Kazakhstan-Uzbekistan-Afghanistan. The total length of the route Urumqi-Khorgosi-Almaata-Tashkent-Thermezi-Khayraton-Kabul is 3151 km.
It should be noted that in February 2024, Azerbaijan opened an embassy in the capital of Afghanistan. This move not only marks the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two nations, but will also contribute to the restoration of the historical Silk Road.
TRACECA.GE