KABUL (SW): The Ministry of Public Welfare (MoPW) has inked a deal with an Australian firm for survey and designing of the Salang Pass.
Mehmood Balegh, Minister at the MoPW, said on the occasion the firm would present results of their survey for alternative rout such as Khawak – Khanjaan – Doshi – Bamyan, repairing the existing tunnels and a new tunnel in a suitable time. The Minister added that talks with the Asian Development Bank have been going on for the past two years, and have now yield positive results as $ 32 million have been tranferred to the government's kitty.
The Minister said the Salang Pass that was constructed nearly 50 years ago with the support from the former Soviet Union, is in appalling state now.
Abdullah Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Unity Government (NUG), said on the occasion that the reconstruction of the Salang Pass is a promise made with the people during elections. Abdullah thanked the ADB, and the government of Japan for their support in reconstruction of Afghanistan. The ADB representative and Ambassador of Japan pronounced Afghanistan as an important country linking South and Central Asia.
ENDS
