Trip of Uzbekistan Delegation to Kabul; Trade Volume between the Two Countries to Reach Three Billion Dollars

Bayan News – A delegation from Uzbekistan has recently arrived in Kabul and held discussions with Mullah Brother, the Deputy Economic Chief of the Kabul Provisional Government, regarding trade, economic relations, railway, transportation, technical mining extraction in Afghanistan, water management, agricultural development, and providing higher education opportunities for Afghan youth.

These discussions took place on Monday (October 29) at the Chahar Chenar Palace.

According to the Economic Deputy Newsletter, as reported by Mullah Brother, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan have been neighboring and friendly countries throughout history and have had close cooperation in the fields of security, politics, and economics.

Brother stated that the visit of the Uzbekistan delegation to Kabul demonstrates that the bilateral relations between the two countries are developing, and this can lead to significant progress in the areas of trade and transit.

The Deputy Economic Chief of the Provisional Government emphasized that the Islamic Emirate aims to have an economy-centered foreign policy and intends to play a facilitating role in regional transit. To achieve this goal, in addition to reconstruction, the necessary facilities have been provided. “This issue plays a prominent role in connecting South and Central Asian countries.”

According to Brother, Afghanistan uses Uzbekistan routes for trade and transit with Central Asian countries.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Brother also requested the Uzbekistan government to reduce the transit fees on Afghan cargoes, which are higher compared to other routes.

He also highlighted the need for a balanced trade between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, stating that Afghan exports to Uzbekistan need to increase significantly. In this regard, he suggested considering preferential tariff arrangements for Kabul and utilizing exceptional friendly interactions in certain cases.

Meanwhile, the head of the Uzbekistan delegation stated that Tashkent has prepared a plan and strategy that would bring the trade volume between the two countries to approximately three billion dollars.

He mentioned that the Uzbekistan government has established the necessary facilities for Afghan traders and drivers to obtain visas. In the near future, an international exhibition will be held for Afghan products in this country, and for this purpose, a large trade center will also be entrusted to Afghan traders in Termiz.

The Uzbekistan delegation is traveling to Kabul at a time when senior officials in Tashkent have raised objections regarding the reconstruction of the Gush Tepa Canal in recent months.

The President of Uzbekistan had previously stated in his speeches that the reconstruction of this canal disrupts the water interaction in Central Asia.