Nearly two months ago, five trucks loaded with 180 tons of Afghan products and goods were sent off from Herat to Turkey for its final destination to Europe.
Two months later these trucks have returned bringing back oil, solar panels and medicines to Herat through the historic Lapis Lazuli route, which starts in Afghanistan’s northern Faryab province, goes through Turkmenistan, passes the Caspian Sea, reaches the Turkey through Azerbaijan and Georgia and finally ends in Europe.
Addressing the welcoming ceremony of the convoy, Herat governor Abdul Qayoum Rahimi said the Lapis Lazuli convoy could help end Afghanistan’s dependence on Karachi’s seaport.
He added that the arrival of today’s convoy proved that government is succeeding in its efforts towards getting Afghanistan out of isolation and becoming self-reliant.
However, the drivers of trucks said they faced a number of difficulties on the Lapis Lazuli route and called on the government to address them.
One of the issues the drivers mentioned was the absence of country’s name on the trucks’ plates that caused them face problems at customs in the European countries.
Delayed visa was another issue that the drivers faced. The drivers had to wait up to 5 days in every country to get their visa.
