Herat, December 13, 2018 - The Inauguration Ceremony of the First Shipment through Lapis Lazuli Route was held today with the presence of H.E. Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, high-level officials from the contracting parties, officials from the Afghan line ministries, representatives from the private sector as well as ambassadors and representatives from the diplomatic community. 

The shipment includes over 180 tons of cotton yarn, raisin, watermelon seeds and sesame seeds, which will be shipped by nine Afghan trucks under the TIR system to Turkey through Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The shipment is an important practical step towards the implementation of the Lapis Lazuli Route Agreement, which was signed on the sidelines of RECCA VII on November 15, 2017 in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.