Delegations of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan led by the foreign ministers of both countries held talks on February 26, 2024, in Ashgabat. During the talks, the parties discussed the coordination of a meeting scheduled to take place in Ashgabat soon, involving representatives from the five member countries of the Lapis Lazuli Corridor (Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye).
The meeting also addressed issues related to the development of the Lapis Lazuli Corridor, reported Türkmendeňizderýaýollary (Turkmen Maritime and River Roads) Agency on Tuesday referring to Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry.
In 2017, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Türkiye signed an agreement to create the Lapis Lazuli Transport Corridor. This corridor, inaugurated in 2018, serves as an international transit route connecting Afghanistan to Turkey through Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia.
The Lapis Lazuli Corridor runs from the Afghan province of Herat to Ashgabat, and then from the Turkmenbashi International Seaport to the port of Baku on the Caspian Sea. The route continues through Tbilisi to Ankara, with branches to Poti and Batumi, and then to Istanbul.
