Jahon news agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Uzbek company will construct and commission 75 km railroad and several stations, as well as reconstruct Hairatan station within a year.

The project will be financed due to US$165 million grant of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and US$5 million of own funds of the Afghanistan Government.

Uzbekistan Temir Yollari plans to carry out designing and construction of the railway simultaneously due to undertime.

The release said the Uzbek side will assist Afghanistan in training railway specialists, who will be able to repair and maintain railroads.

During the opening ceremony, the Afghan side underlined that Uzbekistan always helped people of Afghanistan in difficult times and construction of Hairatan-Mazar-e-Sharif railroad is bright evidence of friendship relations between two states.

The Afghan side added that Afghanistan is interested in expansion of relations with Uzbekistan, taking into account huge potential of the country in many spheres.

Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and the ADB have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to expand trade and economic opportunities through railway transport in November 2008.

Uzbekistan prepared feasibility study of the project on railway between Hairatan and Heart through Mazar-e-Sharif. It is planned to supply several locomotives, construct cargo terminal in Mazar-e-Sharif and some other infrastructure objects.