Photo: dunyo.info
During a visit by an Uzbek delegation to Kabul, private entrepreneurs from Uzbekistan and Afghanistan signed more than 30 agreements totaling up to $50 million, according to Afghanistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Investment, as reported by ToloNews.
Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce of Afghanistan Ahmadullah Zahid praised Uzbekistan for its consistent support of neighboring countries on international platforms. He emphasized that the relationship between the two nations—especially in the economic realm—has moved beyond discussions to concrete agreements and projects.
Afghan officials also noted an increase in Uzbek investment, including a $1 billion commitment to the Tuti Maidan gas field in Faryab Province. Tashkent is also actively promoting the Trans-Afghan railway project, which experts say could generate substantial long-term revenue for Afghanistan.
Davron Vakhobov, chairman of Uzbekistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry and head of the delegation, confirmed that contracts had been signed in key sectors such as textiles, food production, and construction.
According to the Dunyo news agency, the Kabul meetings also focused on the export of medicines and food to Afghanistan. While such goods were previously imported without regulation, a mandatory certification process was introduced in March of this year. Afghan representatives assured their Uzbek counterparts that they would create favorable conditions for these exports. Memorandums reflecting these agreements were signed following the talks.
Bilateral cooperation is expanding in other areas as well. On May 13, an Afghan delegation visited the city of Termez. The group included Mullah Abdul Wase, chief of staff to the Afghan prime minister, and Balkh Province Governor Muhammad Yousuf Wafa. They were received by Ismatilla Ergashev, special representative of the president of Uzbekistan for Afghanistan, and Ulugbek Qosimov, governor of Surkhandarya Region.
The two sides discussed enhancing cooperation in trade, transport, humanitarian assistance, and cultural exchanges. The Afghan delegation also brought 16 truckloads of white marble to Termez, a gift to be used in the construction of the Imam Bukhari complex in Samarkand.
