Khaf-Herat Railroad Significant for Region

Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif underlined the significance of the Khaf-Herat railroad ahead of the project’s inauguration on Thursday. 
“The Khaf-Herat railroad’s significance is not only for Iran & Afghanistan, but for the greater region,” he said in a tweet on Wednesday. 
The 220-km railroad connects the city of Khaf in Iran’s northeastern province of Khorasan Razavi to Herat in the west of Afghanistan. 
It is set to be inaugurated on Thursday during a ceremony attended by President Hassan Rouhani and his Afghan counterpart Ashraf Ghani. 
The project provides landlocked Afghanistan with access to free waters and the European market through Iran’s rail network that connects it to Bandar Abbas and Chabahar Port.
It is also an important part of the East-West Railroad Corridor with a length of about 2,000 km, involving China, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey and Europe.
“As a gateway that will boost trade and people-to-people exchanges, it will also contribute to regional stability and development. Turning our frontiers into bridges is a priority,” Zarif said.