ISTANBUL 

Turkey and Afghanistan will sign a memorandum of understanding on Thursday for cooperation in research and development activities in the fields of motorways, railways and aviation, an official said.

Turkey's Transport Minister Adil Karaismailoglu said in a statement after a meeting on Wednesday with his Afghan counterpart Kudretullah Zeki that Ankara will support infrastructure projects in the war-torn country.

"We are willing to undertake the necessary procedures to increase the possibility of rail transport between our countries and to create new cooperation opportunities," Karaismailoglu said.

He added: "We are determined to connect Afghanistan with Europe via the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railway Line using the Lapis Lazuli route."